


Need For Speed - True Love

by NightWriter89



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Disability, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Falling In Love, Major Character Injury, Street Racing, wheelchair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:07:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26179960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightWriter89/pseuds/NightWriter89
Summary: Emma Swan enters the famous GOLD Cup as a newbie, Ruby tags along as her second hand. They embark on a wild adventure, cross country from Florida to San Francisco. On the way, they come across the mysterious Evil King, whose identity has been concealed. Evil King is famous and feared by all, and Emma is intrigued. Will her curiousity be rewarded or is she in over her head?
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, Red Riding Hood | Ruby/Wicked Witch of the West | Zelena
Comments: 31
Kudos: 97
Collections: Swan Queen Supernova V: Forever Starstruck





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Italymystery](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Italymystery/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Need of Speed TrueLove (fanart)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26193409) by [Italymystery](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Italymystery/pseuds/Italymystery). 



> This has been such an adventure and joy to write. It's my very first protostar and I have to say, Italymystery's piece has inspired me.  
> I hope you have as much fun reading this as I had writing it.

The sun was almost setting when Emma Swan was getting ready for a night out. Ruby Lucas, her colleague and best friend in the world, had promised her a night she had never experienced. Emma had been skeptical, she’d attended quite a lot of crazy parties over the years, yet Ruby had convinced her she had never seen anything like this. Just as Emma applied the last bit of make-up, Ruby appeared in the doorway.

“Are you almost done?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at Emma’s attire.

Emma had opted for a pair of black denim pants, a grey tank top, and her favorite pair of red and black sneakers.

“Just about,” Emma replied as she looked up at her friend. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked as she grabbed her purse with her.

“Nope,” Ruby grinned. “Is that all you’re going to wear?” she asked as she looked up and down Emma’s lithe form. “It’s going to be cold.”

Emma groaned and grabbed her favorite red jacket from the coat rack. “This good enough?” she asked as she pulled it on.

Ruby nodded. “That should do.” She checked her watch, grabbed her keys, and walked out the front door. “Let’s go, we’re going to be late.”

Emma followed her and closed the door behind her. They shared an apartment above the auto shop they both worked at. Old Geppetto, their boss, had been kind enough to rent it to them.  
Emma had known Ruby ever since high school. They had gone through school together and ended up working at the same car shop. Ruby’s only living relative, her grandmother, hadn’t really approved. She had thrown a true hissy fit when Ruby had told her she was going to study technical engineering at college. Ruby had stood her ground and, in the end, Granny had agreed to let her go. Emma had been there for the fallout, unfortunately.

When she was a baby, Emma had been left on the doorstep of an orphanage. After being misplaced in a number of families, Emma ended up being fostered by Granny. Emma immediately had clicked with Granny and had stayed with her and Ruby until she had finished college. She had been twenty-two when she'd gotten the job at Geppetto’s auto shop. Ruby had been a bit jealous when Emma had come home with enthusiastic stories about her job. Emma had pulled in a favor with old Geppetto to get Ruby a job there as well. He had hired Ruby and offered them the apartment above the shop. Ten years later, they were still slaving away at the shop, but they had almost reached their goal: opening up their own auto shop. They were only a couple of thousand dollars short and Emma hoped they would be able to rack that up in a few upcoming street races. Granny didn’t know this, but both Ruby and Emma participated in illegal street races. Neither of them had ever been caught, but it had been close a few times.

Emma walked down the stairs and saw Ruby walk towards her car. Ruby had managed to get her hands on a Corvette and fixed it up. It was matted black and she had painted a grey wolf mid bark on the sides. Emma glanced at her own car, a white Toyota GT 86. She was still fixing it up after their last race, it had been a bumpy ride.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Emma asked as she got into the passenger seat.

“Not yet,” Ruby smirked and started the car.

The engine growled to life and Ruby sped out of the garage, hardly looking if there were any other cars on the road. Emma had gotten used to Ruby’s driving style and she had to admit, she was driving a bit careless herself lately.  
Night had fallen when they arrived at their destination and Emma gaped at all the sick looking racing cars. Ruby had managed to get them into one of the bigger street races as spectators, hoping they would be able to get a spot on the road at a later race.  
Emma walked past all the different cars, itching to look under the hoods. She knew it was impolite to do so, so she refrained herself. Her mouth dropped at the sight of a low red and black accented car she immediately recognized as the McLaren Senna, one of the newest ones in the series. She lowly whistled as she walked towards it, admiring it.

“What do you think you’re doing?” a sudden stern voice asked.

Emma startled as a tall, red-haired woman stepped out of the shadows. Piercing blue eyes were looking at her, making Emma recoil.

“N-nothing,” she stammered. “Just admiring the car,” she added.

The woman’s eyes squinted as she took another step towards Emma. “Are you new?” she asked, her voice was husked.

Emma swallowed and nodded. “Just watching,” she added.

The woman hummed and Emma quickly took another step backwards, colliding into a warm and solid body. She yelped as she jumped sideward, feeling trapped.

“What are you doing here?” Ruby hissed in her ear as she grabbed Emma’s arm to keep her on her feet. She looked up at the red-haired woman. “My apologies,” she said pleading. “She’s new and a bit of a car fanatic.”

The woman merely nodded. “I can see that,” she sneered. “Now, skedaddle.”

Ruby pulled Emma with her, back towards the other spectators. “Do you have any idea whose car that was?” she asked urgently.

“No, but I know I haven’t seen the new McLaren series up close,” Emma grinned.

Ruby sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “That was the Evil King’s car,” she told Emma.

“Who now?” Emma asked, frowning.

Ruby took another breath as she led Emma to the starting line. “The Evil King is a legend among the street racers. No one has ever seen them, but boy, they are good. They practically win every race, but no one has ever seen who actually drives the car. The woman we just saw?” Ruby asked and Emma nodded. “That’s Zelena Mills.”

“You mean… from Mills’ Auto repair? The Mills that have their own Formula 1 race team?” Emma sounded incredulous.

Ruby nodded. “She is their daughter.”

Emma whistled low and was about to reply, but at that moment eight cars pulled up to the starting line. Among them was the red McLaren. Emma tried to see who the driver was, but the windows were tinted black. All she could make out was a shadow. The engines revved as a tall, dark-haired woman stepped up to the starting line. Emma watched as she raised a white handkerchief and when she dropped it to the ground, the cars sped away.

“Wow, it must be such an adrenaline rush to be standing there,” Ruby said impressed.

“Yeah, or having a death wish,” Emma sniggered and stretched herself out. It was too bad they couldn’t see what was going on in the streets and Emma felt herself itch to be in the race herself. “You managed to get us an invite?” she asked quietly, as she looked sideways at Ruby.

“Almost,” Ruby replied. “A little patience.”

Emma chuckled and looked out onto the dark street. The competing cars had received the route in their cars, the finish would be right here again. Emma wondered how it was going and she strained her ears for any police sirens. She couldn’t detect any, deeming that a good sign for now. She wondered how Evil King was doing and if they would be as good as Ruby had told her.  
Ruby had been in the circuit longer then she had been, earning herself some decent street credit. Ruby had been the one to convince Emma to join in the races as well. At first, Emma had been terrified to be caught, but after two races, Emma felt much more relaxed. In her last race, she had finished second and she felt confident she would win the next. Ruby had complimented her, telling her she was a natural and quick learner. It was why she was itching to join in this race, she knew she could win this. Her car was finetuned and after the last race, she had worked out the last remaining kinks. She had never been much of a bystander, she was more a person of action.  
The sound of approaching cars made her look up. She didn’t see any cars yet, but she could hear them come closer. Then, a set of headlights rounded the corner and Emma straightened up. She couldn’t see what car was in the first position until the cars drove closer. She frowned as she saw the red and black car that belonged to the Evil King was currently second and there were a mere 200 meters left of the race. The first car, a white Mazda, was racing towards the finish line. 100 meters left and the red and black car was still second but drew closer to the first car. At 50 meters away from the finish, the Evil King’s car suddenly sped forward, surpassing the first car and finishing first. Emma smirked, she knew that trick. The car had been loaded up with nitro. It gave the engine a big impulse, making it go faster. It was like a turbo button in those old cartoons. Mesmerized, Emma saw the red and black car slow down and drive out of sight.

“Are they coming back?” Emma asked hopefully.

Ruby shook her head. “Never.”

“Damn,” Emma mumbled, her mind yet again on the mysterious driver.

From what Emma had seen, the person driving was excellent. It had also made Emma doubt her own capabilities, she was no way near that good. Yet she was eager to learn and she had memorized the move the Evil King had pulled. She needed to see how much nitro she could store into her Toyota.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Ruby suddenly said next to her.

“What?” Emma reacted semi-innocent.

“Don’t even think of adding nitro to your car,” Ruby warned her.

“I wasn’t,” Emma smirked as they followed the crowd back to the displayed cars.

“You are not there yet, Emma. You’ve still got a lot to learn,” Ruby pressed on sternly.

“I know,” Emma sulked and looked away from Ruby.

They spend another hour at the parking lot, watching the cars. There seemed to be more and more cars coming in as the time passed, but Emma didn’t spot the red and black McLaren anymore. She felt disappointed and wondered what the story behind it was. Finally, Ruby pulled her away and they drove off to their apartment.

“So, what did you think?” Ruby asked as the entered the apartment.

“That was amazing,” Emma beamed.

Ruby smirked. “I thought so. I’m still working on getting an invite, they are not very big on rookies,” she warned.

Emma nodded. “I get that. I don’t have the street rep you have.”

Ruby shrugged and sat down, looking up at Emma. “Would you be mad if they only invited me?”

Emma walked to the fridge and grabbed two beers for them. She plopped down on the couch and handed Ruby the bottle.

“No. I mean, you race for the same goal as I do,” she replied after a moment.

“Totally,” Ruby nodded and raised her bottle. “To Lucas’ & Swan’s Auto repair.”

Emma chuckled and clinked her bottle against Ruby’s. “We’ll see about the name,” she winked.

~~~

Three weeks later, Emma stretched herself out on the couch. She had been home alone for a good chunk of the evening, as Ruby was out with some girl she had met at a street race the other night. Ruby had managed to get a spot between the big guys and last night had been her debut. She had finished third, which had earned her a spot on the next race. Emma had been so proud of her and she had witnessed the Evil King win again. This time they hadn’t needed to use nitro, they had won easily.  
Emma had tried to come close to the car again, but the same red-haired woman had stopped her. She had been a bit milder this time, Emma suspected she had recognized her.  
Emma grabbed the controller that lay discarded on the coffee table and started up the online version of Need For Speed. The makers of the game had finally come through and released an online platform. Emma was enjoying it thoroughly, she was quite good at the game. She took a swig of the beer standing on the table as she waited for a new game to load. She frowned when she saw a black and red car pulling up next to her.

_\--EQ: Are you ready to get beaten?_

_\--UglyDuckling: Are you?_

Emma chuckled as she concentrated on the race. She recognized the track, she had driven this before. The black and red car chased her, surpassed her a few times, but Emma won the race gloriously. She cheered as she saw the black and red car finished right after her.  
Emma went back to the garage in the game to redeem the coins she won. She could finally buy the part she had wanted for a long time. It was a state of the art nitro infuser and she had longed to get it ever since she had laid eyes on it.

You’ve got a new message.

Emma frowned when she navigated to her inbox and saw she indeed had an unread message. She opened it and frowned.

_Hello UglyDuckling,_

_That was an impressive win. Care for a rematch?_

_EQ_

Emma smirked and hit the reply button.

_Hello EQ,_

_You bet your ass!_

Within seconds after she had sent the message, she received an invite for a private race, coming from EQ. Emma accepted the invite immediately and saw an unfamiliar track loaded. She frowned, she thought she had played them all by now.

_\--EQ: I loaded one of the unreleased tracks for us. Make it fair game._

Emma whistled, this person could get unreleased tracks. She needed to stay friends with this person for sure. The race started and Emma tried to stay ahead of the black and red car. It was vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn’t place it. After the first round, Emma started to race in earnest and after three more rounds battling the EQ, Emma finished first again. She smirked as she left the track. Her inbox was blinking again, she already had a new message. Emma was impressed, this EQ person was quick. She opened the message curiously.

_Hello again,_

_Your racing skills are remarkable. Are they just as good in real life?_

_EQ_

Emma swallowed. She had to admit, she was better in the game than in real life. On the other hand, she was never one to back out of a challenge.

_Hi,_

_How about you find that out? Tomorrow night behind the old factory?_

_Ugly Duckling._

Emma waited with bated breath for a reply, not daring to go into another race. The answer stayed out and Emma was scared she had crossed a line. What if she was playing against a thirteen-year-old? Or against a cop? She wasn’t sure if a race between friends and no money involved was even illegal. She figured it was not, but they were bound to break rules during the race, making it illegal. She swore softly. How could she have been so stupid? The message indicator blinked again and with bated breath, she opened the message.

_The old factory works perfectly. I will set a course that I will send you at the starting line. Meet you at midnight._

_EQ_

Emma let go of the breath she was holding and smirked.

_See you there!_

~~~

Nervously, Emma sat waiting in her car behind the old factory. She knew she was early, but she had felt like a caged animal. Ruby had given her an earful after she had found out, telling her that this could be a trap set by the police. Emma admitted that she realized that as well, but still wanted to go. If it was the cops, her car was ten times faster than theirs. She could outrun them. Ruby had given up, ‘your funeral,’ she had murmured. Yet Emma knew that Ruby was standing guard just out of sight. Emma smirked, she knew she could count on her friend.  
Impatiently, she tapped the steering wheel. She looked next to her and slid the driver's seat back. Just this afternoon she had installed the nitro and she couldn’t wait to try it out. She looked up when lights caught her car and she gripped the steering wheel, her foot already on the gas pedal. Her mouth dropped when she saw who had pulled up next to her. Next to her stood the red and black car that belonged to the Evil King. Once again Emma tried to see who was behind the steering wheel, but it was impossible to see. Her navigation system in the car beeped and she saw she had received new directions. She quickly looked it over and saw it was definitely doable. Her phone beeped and saw she had received a message.

_See you at the finish line._

_EQ_

Emma swallowed thickly. She was dreaming, right? Yet when she looked up, the red and black McLaren was still standing next to her. She wiped her now sweaty hands on her pants, waiting for Evil King to start. Evil King let their engine roar and Emma gripped the steering wheel, her foot on the gas pedal. Evil King let go of the brakes and sped away. Emma responded immediately, speeding away off the terrain behind the old factory. She chased Evil King through the city, every once in a while asking herself what the hell she was doing. Evil King stayed in front of her, Emma could never surpass them. She came close a few times, pulling up to the back wheel until Evil King sped off again. Emma glanced quickly at the navigation system and saw they were halfway through the route Evil King had thought up. Emma looked back up and saw Evil King was slowing down slightly to take the turn. Emma grinned, sped up, hit the handbrake, and managed to surpass Evil King while drifting through the turn. She looked in her rearview mirror and saw the McLaren's headlights. Her grin grew as she followed the directions, bringing her back to the old factory. Evil King came driving next to her, both speeding towards the finish line. Emma had studied Evil King through old YouTube video’s and knew they were most likely waiting for her to use her nitro. Emma glanced next to her, the brand new nitro looked invitingly enough. Yet Emma decided not to use it, she knew she could get her car to go a bit quicker. When she was barely 20 meters away from the finish line, she pushed down the pedal and sped forward two inches away from Evil King. It was just enough to win the race. Emma cheered when she came to a standstill and stepped out of the car. Expectantly, she looked at the red and black car, but no one stepped out of it. Instead, her phone beeped and she saw she had received a message.

_Congratulations. You are an exceptional rider on and offline. I look forward to racing you again._

_EQ_

Emma frowned and when she looked up, the red and black car sped off. Emma scratched the back of her neck in confusion, she really had hoped to see who the driver was. Ruby appeared suddenly next to her, screaming in her ear.

“Oh my god! I can’t believe you went up against the Evil King and actually won!” she yelled.

Emma grinned, Ruby’s enthusiasm was contagious. “I know!” Emma replied, a big shit-eating grin on her face. “I thought I was having a heart attack when I saw them pull up.”

“And me? I screamed when I saw them appear!”

Emma was about to say more when they heard the sirens.

“We've gotta dash,” Emma said, stuffing her phone back in her pocket. “See you at home?” she asked.

Ruby nodded. “I’ll take the long way.”

Emma nodded and stepped into her car. As she sped away, she realized she hadn’t told Ruby about the texts. She doubted she would, she didn’t think Evil King wanted everyone to know they were actually a woman. Emma had recognized the initials, EQ. She figured they were standing for Evil Queen, but she wasn’t completely sure. For all she knew, they meant something completely different and Evil King wasn’t a woman.  
She parked her car in the garage and dashed upstairs to the apartment. Ruby hadn’t arrived yet and Emma didn’t expect her for another ten more minutes. As she stepped into the dark apartment, her phone beeped again. Curiously, she saw she had _received another text._

_Thought this might be up your alley._

_EQ_

Underneath it was a link. Emma pressed it as she plopped down on the couch. The website opened and big letters saying GOLD CUP were flashing up towards her. Emma scrolled through the website until she found what this was about.

_The GOLD CUP is a yearly held multi-event. The race starts in Florida, cross country to San Francisco, where the final street race will be held. The travel in between cities will be a race too, the last ten to fifteen cars to finish will not proceed to the next town. In every town, a different race will be held. These races will include drag race, drifting, street racing, and many more._

As Emma read on, she understood that this race was invite-only and if you had received this link, it was your formal invite. Emma grinned and pressed the sign up button. She had just finished signing up when Ruby stepped into the apartment. Emma turned around to face her with a huge grin.

“I just signed up for the GOLD CUP,” she told Ruby.

Ruby’s eyes went big, she had heard of the GOLD CUP. “You did what now?”


	2. Chapter 2

Emma scratched the back at her neck while staring at the total loss Toyota in front of her. The race last night had been a disaster, she had taken too much risk and wrecked her car just before the GOLD CUP. She still didn’t know when it would be happening, but she had an inkling it would be soon.

“Can you fix it?” Ruby asked, who was sitting on a workbench behind her.

Emma shook her head. “She’s totaled. It would take me weeks to get her back up and running and I don’t have weeks,” she replied hopelessly.

“You would have if you pull out of the GOLD CUP,” Ruby replied.

Emma whirled around at her friend. They’d had a big fight about Emma signing up and Emma thought she had managed to get Ruby on board, but that was clearly not the case.

“Red, it would bring up more than enough money to open up the shop,” she reasoned.

“But it wouldn’t do you much good if you were dead,” Ruby said as she jumped off the workbench and walked over to Emma. “I’ve looked it up, it’s really dangerous and you are not that experienced.”

“Thanks for the confidence,” Emma sneered and looked back at her totaled car. “But I guess you’ll get your way. I don’t have another car.”

Emma shook her head, disappointed. She had been so close. Ruby wrapped her arm around her shoulders. “We will get our shop,” she said. “It will just take a bit longer.”

“Not if you manage to fix up the old Beetle I got parked at the back.”

Emma and Ruby looked up, finding Geppetto in the doorway looking at them with a goofy grin.

“Wha…. What?” Emma stammered.

Geppetto pushed himself off the doorpost and slowly walked towards them. “I know you two are doing the illegal street races,” he said, his eyes were glistening with joy. “And that GOLD CUP? I think if you were to support each other, you have a fair chance of winning.”

“You… know?” Ruby asked astounded.

Geppetto laughed. “Of course. I’m not an idiot. I did it back in the day as well,” he grinned.

Emma smirked and looked at Ruby. “What do you think?” she asked.

Ruby shook her head, she seemed still in turmoil. “It’s really dangerous, Ems,” she whispered.

“I know,” Emma said. “But what if we actually win?”

Ruby nodded. “We would be able to fulfill our dreams.”

Emma nodded. “And then some.”

Ruby took another deep breath and looked up. “I’m so going to regret this,” she groaned.

“Yes!” Emma cheered, fist-pumping the air. “I love you.”

Ruby chuckled and shook her head. “I hope you still say that when you are in ruins with your car.”

“I won’t, because I have the best second hand I can imagine,” Emma grinned and looked up at Geppetto. “You have a Beetle you say?” she asked.

Geppetto nodded. “Follow me.”

~~~

Sweat was pouring down her face as Emma screwed the last screw tight. She wiped away the sweat from her brow as she stood straight. Before her stood the ugliest car she’d ever seen: a bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle. It had been rusted almost to the point beyond repair, but Emma and Ruby had managed to get it back to normal. Emma had been in charge of the motor and the nitro installation, Ruby had taken care of the outside.

“What a beauty, isn’t she?” Geppetto grinned, looking lovingly at the Beetle. Emma frowned, she didn’t see the beauty in it. “She won me this shop, you know?” Geppetto told her, as he looked aside at her.

That piece of information brought some new respect for the car and now Emma could see she wasn’t as ugly as she at first thought.

“Let’s hope she can do it again,” Ruby replied.

“She is bound to. Especially with Emma’s upgrade and your handiwork, she looks like a winner,” Geppetto told them and looked up when the bell in the shop chimed. He nodded at them and shuffled off to the next customer.

Ruby looked again at the car and shook her head. “We’ll be the odd one out,” she sighed.

“So? As long as she wins, I don’t care,” Emma replied. “Want to come for a test round?” she asked.

“Sure, why not,” Ruby smirked and got into the driver’s seat.

Emma crawled behind the wheel and started the engine. The engine roared powerfully to life and Emma smirked. The Beetle didn’t feel the same as her Toyota, but it would do. She released the hand brake, pressed the gas pedal down, and the car sped away. The car trembled slightly but stopped after the first few meters.

“Let’s go to the old factory,” Emma proposed. “See what she’s really capable of.”

Ruby nodded and Emma sped through the city. She was careful not to break any rules, she couldn’t use the trouble now. Soon, the old factory loomed up and Emma drove around it, knowing there was an opening at the back. Carefully, she drove the Beetle into the factory and stopped.

“Try some donuts,” Ruby suggested and got out of the car.

Emma pressed the pedal again and threw the steering wheel around. It was as if the Beetle knew exactly what Emma wanted and listened to even the most precise corrections. Emma smiled, she felt even more in tune with this car then with her Toyota. She drifted through the factory, changing direction regularly. She stopped next to Ruby and opened the window.

“How did it look?” Emma asked.

“Very tight,” Ruby smirked. “Even more than with the Toyota.”

“Yeah, I felt that,” Emma said with a smile. “Time to test the speed?”

Ruby nodded. Out of her bag, she grabbed a speedometer and Emma sped away from Ruby. They were lucky the factory was long and broad, she could easily test the speed. As she pressed the gas pedal down, her eyes were on her speed meter. It slowly crept to 150, 180, 200, 210, 220, 230. Emma cheered, her Toyota wouldn’t go faster than 210. She drove back to Ruby, who looked really happy as well. As Emma rolled down the window, Ruby showed her the meter. The number on it told her she had hit 235.

“I really think we have a winner,” Ruby smirked.

Emma smiled broadly and stepped out of the car. “We’re gonna nail this,” she smirked.

“Now the only thing we need to do is get the driver into shape,” Ruby teased as she put the speedometer back in her bag.

Emma flipped her off and leaned against the hood. She was ready for this adventure and she was determined to win. Her phone went off in her pocket and she pulled it out. She frowned as she opened the message.

_»Unknown number«_   
_To the competitor of GOLD CUP_

_First meet up will be this Friday at the Marriott hotel in Florida. You and your second are expected to be at 21:00 in the lobby._

Emma whistled and reread the message.

“What’s up?” Ruby asked and Emma showed her the message. “Damn.”

Emma nodded. “That is tomorrow and we are in Boston.”

“That is a…” Ruby quickly looked it up on her phone. “A twenty hour drive.”

“If we keep to the speed limit,” Emma smirked. “Come on, let’s go!”

She jumped in the car, Ruby quickly got in as well. They sped out of the factory, heading towards their big adventure.

~~~

Emma had her feet propped up on the dashboard, Ruby was driving the last leg of the trip. They only had three hours to go and Emma was starting to get nervous.

“Got any idea who else is participating?” Emma asked.

Ruby shook her head. “No one really knows. People are tight-lipped about it.”

“Why?” Emma asked curiously, she had never read anything about not talking about it.

“Guess it’s some unspoken rule,” Ruby said, shrugging. “Same goes for the organizer of this thing. We know someone called Rumpelstiltskin is behind it, but no one really knows who he is. If he even is a dude, that is.”

Emma scoffed. “What is it with all those people trying to stay anonymous? What are they scared of?” she wondered out loud.

“In Rumpelstiltskin’s case, I bet the cops,” Ruby chuckled. “Participating in these things can give you quite some time in jail, but actually organizing it? I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes,” she said.

Emma chuckled. “Agreed.”

They drove on in silence for a while, Emma leaned her head against the window. Nerves were swirling in her stomach, she wasn’t so sure if she could do this. It had sounded so great back home, but now she started to get serious doubts.

“You okay there?” Ruby asked suddenly and Emma looked up.

She said up straight again and nodded. “I think so,” she said.

“What’s up?” Ruby asked.

Emma shrugged. “What if I totally blow this?” she asked.

Ruby sighed and briefly looked aside at Emma. “I know I haven’t been very supportive, but you are an excellent driver. Really. You can do this.”

Emma bit down on her lip and sighed. “I don’t have that much experience. Not as much as you do,” she finally said.

“But you have talent,” Ruby objected. “When you drove the Beetle in the factory? It was like… I don’t know, a ballet. You were perfectly in sync with your car. Not many people have that,” she said, looking at Emma again. “And you’ve got the most awesome, badass second,” she grinned.

Emma’s face broke into a laugh and shook her head. “Idiot.”

“But you love me,” Ruby smirked.

Emma chuckled. “I do.”

“We’ve got this.”

Emma nodded and looked back at the road, she saw they were approaching Florida. “Do you think Evil King will be there?” she asked.

Ruby frowned. “What is it with you and Evil King?” she asked.

Emma shrugged. “Nothing. Just curious.”

“Well, we’ll find out soon enough.”

Emma nodded and turned on the radio. The Rolling Stones with Jumpin’ Jack Flash sounded through the all surround system and Emma was glad she had transferred them from the Toyota. She found she could drive better with music…

~~~

They arrived in good time in Florida, thanks to not keeping to the speed limit. They were parked at the gas station and Emma was fiddling with her phone while Ruby was off paying for the gas and getting them some snacks. Emma was tempted to text EQ to see if they were here in Florida too. She took a deep breath and locked her phone, deciding against texting. She looked up when Ruby came walking back with her arms full of snacks. Emma smirked and opened the door of the driver’s seat so Ruby could get in.

“Score,” Ruby smirked and dumped all the snacks on Emma’s lap.

“I can see that,” Emma chuckled.

They drove away from the gas station and slowly made their way to the hotel. Ruby parked the Beetle on the parking lot and snatched a few snacks from Emma.

“Ready for this?” she asked.

“Yes,” Emma nodded, she couldn’t wait for the race to start. “I am curious to see what challenges we will get.”

Ruby nodded. “Me too. I suspect drifting, maybe some drag racing and definitely street racing.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same. I’ve never done drag racing, but it’s not that hard, right?” Emma asked.

“It’s about timing,” Ruby replied. “We probably can practice somewhere this week,” she said.

Emma nodded and was about to say something when a black and red McLaren pulled up and drove past them. Emma’s mouth dropped at the sight of it, her heart started hammering.

“She’s here,” she whispered.

“What?” Ruby asked, who hadn’t seen the car drive by as she was grabbing for another snack.

“The Evil King, they are here,” Emma said, pointing at the car.

“Shit,” Ruby muttered. They looked at each other, knowing that their chances of winning just diminished. “Let’s hope they get eliminated?” Ruby offered weakly, they both knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“I’m not quitting,” Emma said. “I don’t care what I have to do, but I’m going to win.”

Ruby nodded, finding a bit more courage herself. “We are,” she nodded.

They decided to go to a pizza place nearby to kill the time before they had the meeting at the hotel. Soon it was time to go in and, nervously, Emma walked up the stairs. It looked like the lobby had been reserved for them, as Emma spotted several not so fancy dressed people there. She showed her invitation at the door and they were let in.

Ruby whistled lowly. “Damn,” she said.

“Say that again,” Emma nodded.

She craned her neck to see if she could spot the person who could be Evil King. But as she had no idea what they looked like, she had no idea where to search.

“Well, well, well,” a voice drawled behind them. “Look what the cat dragged in.” Emma and Ruby whirled around, coming face to face with the one and only Zelena Mills. “The car freak and her friend.”

“Once again, I’m sorry,” Emma offered.

Zelena looked amused at her. “Are you lost?” she asked with a silk-like voice.

“No,” Emma replied. “We’re here to beat Evil King.”

Zelena cackled at that, she still looked amused as she bowed towards Emma. “You’re a newbie. You will come no way near Evil King,” she whispered in Emma’s ear. “Well, it has been a blast. See you at the finish… but probably not.”

With that, Zelena walked away and disappeared in the crowd. Emma was almost breathing fire, Zelena didn’t even give her a chance to prove herself.

“Calm down, Em,” Ruby tried to talk her down, people were looking at them. “Save the anger for the race, okay?”

“Fine,” Emma gritted through her teeth and grabbed a glass of champagne.

They watched all the different people from the side. There were heavily tattooed guys walking around, one was clad in all black leather and had a hook instead of a hand. Ruby recognized some of them and whispered their names to Emma. Emma learned that the man with the hook was called Killian ‘Hook’ Jones and was a mean driver. Emma took note to stay away from him. Halfway through the evening, the music stopped and the light dimmed, leaving one spot on the stage in front. A lanky man with short hair, a thinning mustache, and an equally thinning beard stepped on stage. Emma thought he looked shy, but his voice was strong.

“Welcome everyone to the biggest event of the year with the biggest reward. If you succeed to make it to the finish line in San Francisco first, you will go home with $100.000 and the cars of the losers.”

Emma grinned, she so wanted that. As she looked around, she saw she wasn’t the only one that wanted it. She spotted Zelena on the other side of the room, who looked rather bored.

“For the newbies here today, I will explain how we’re doing this: as you all are aware, we are in Florida now. In seven days from now, we will, with a much smaller party, be in San Francisco. We will relocate daily, the travel to the next city will be a race in itself. The last fifteen to finish will no longer participate in the cup. In each city there will be a different challenge. That may be drifting, touge racing, drag race, you name it. If you lose, you stay behind. Everything clear?” A loud cheering went up. “Good. You will be told what the next challenge will be after each challenge,” he continued. “For now, enjoy your stay here and we will see you all tomorrow at the drag race. Location will be sent to your phone in the morning, as well as the time.”

With that, the man stepped off the stage. Emma turned to face Ruby.

“Fuck,” she said softly.

“Hey, you’ve got this,” Ruby told her.

Emma nodded but didn’t feel very convinced. This would probably the shortest race she had ever done and she hadn’t even properly started yet. Emma emptied her glass and straightened up.

“I’m going to the room,” she announced.

“Okay,” Ruby nodded and followed Emma out of the lobby.

They picked up their key and their stuff from the car. While Ruby took a shower, Emma did some quick research on drag racing and felt the courage seep out of her. It seemed impossible she would excel at something she had never done. When Ruby came out of the shower, she convinced Emma to watch some tv. Emma agreed, but couldn’t keep her attention at what she was watching. Soon, Ruby had fallen asleep and Emma went back to watching clips of drag racing until she fell asleep as well…


	3. Chapter 3

Emma woke up to the sound of a text message and she groaned. She opened one eye and felt around for her phone. She grabbed it and opened the message.

_»Unknown number«_   
_To Emma Swan._

_Since this is your first time racing in the CUP, you are classified as a newbie. You are expected to appear at the start at 10.00 sharp or face disqualification._

_Your first challenge will be a drag race._

Emma groaned and checked the time. She had an hour and a half to get ready, which would leave no room to get some practice in.

“Ruby,” she said as she shook the brunette’s shoulder. A groan was her reply, but Ruby didn’t wake up. Emma shook her again. “Ruby!”

“What?” Ruby asked groggily, opening an eye.

“I’m supposed to be on the road in one and a half hours,” Emma informed her. “It’s a drag race.”

“Shit,” Ruby swore. “That means no practice then.”

Emma shook her head. “Looks like I’m going to have to wing it.”

“I’m afraid so,” Ruby sighed. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea?” she pondered.

Emma shrugged and got up out of the bed, stretching out. “At least I tried.”

Ruby nodded and watched her friend disappear into the shower. She really hoped Emma would at least survive, but she hadn’t had high hopes. Emma had never done drag race and even though she was very talented, drag race required precision, timing, and experience. Ruby had been to a couple of drag races and she wasn’t sure Emma was ready for it…

~~~

Nervously, Emma licked her lips. She was standing at the starting line of her very first drag race. Lucky for her, she didn’t need to start first, so she had been able to see how it’s done. She checked her car over quickly, everything seemed to be in order. The same man that had welcomed them the night before, stepped up to her car. Emma had found out his name is Neal.

“Are you good?” he asked through the window. Emma nodded nervously. “First time?” he asked kindly and Emma nodded again. “Focus on you,” he told her. “It will be alright.”

“Thanks,” Emma croaked and with a nod he walked off.

“Alright, both of you will perform a burn out before we start the race,” Neal told them and gave the sign to do the burn out.

Emma pushed down the brakes, while simultaneously flooring the gas pedal. The car shook under the pressure, but she was glad to see it was holding. Neal let them do the burn out for a couple of minutes before he signaled for them to stop. Emma’s opponent drove forward to the starting line and Emma followed him. Emma had drawn a bad opponent, Killian ‘Hook’ Jones was in the car next to her. Ruby had gotten real nervous, which hadn’t helped Emma at all. She had looked around but hadn’t spotted the black and red McLaren. Emma glanced up at the Christmas tree, trying to figure out the starting sequence. It jumped fairly quickly to orange and Emma held her foot at the gas pedal, ready to press it. It took longer to jump to green and Emma struggled to keep her focus, wondering if the lights were broken. Suddenly it jumped to green and Emma reacted a fraction of a second too late and Killian sped away from her. Emma knew there was no way she could catch him, but she wasn’t one to back down. Way too soon she saw him finish, and a second later she finished as well. Shaking her head with disappointment, Emma watched as Killian stepped out of his car. A knock on her window, made Emma look up. She found Neal standing next to her car. She rolled down the window curiously.

“Not bad at all, rookie,” he told her.

“I lost,” Emma replied crossly.

“But with a fraction of a second,” he told her. “You stayed with him the entire time.”

Emma shrugged and looked up at him. “Thanks.”

Neal nodded and walked off. It was only then, Emma noticed he was limping. She frowned and wondered what had happened. She drove her car off the track, knowing she had two more chances to prove herself. She parked the car and got out. At the same moment, someone flew her around her neck.

“That was amazing!” Ruby yelled in her ear.

“I lost,” Emma reminded her.

“But you almost didn’t,” Ruby beamed. “Look at this.”

She held up her phone and showed Emma a video of her race. Emma saw she indeed stayed very close to Killian. If she had been a fraction quicker, she would have beaten him.

“Can you send that to me?” Emma asked. She was already making calculations.

“Of course.”

Ruby send it to her and Emma watched the video multiple times and then looked up at Ruby. “Okay. So,” she started and frowned. “The starting sequence is different all the time. It could be fast, it could be slow,” she said and Ruby nodded.

“You’ve got to keep that focus. You’ve got the rest down,” Ruby told her. “You’re in complete control of this car, it’s like it can read your mind,” she chuckled.

“You’re saying this is a magic car?” Emma smirked.

“Who knows,” Ruby smirked. “I mean, wasn’t Geppetto Pinocchio’s maker or something?”

Emma chuckled and shook her head. “I don’t believe in fairy tales, but sure. So, the start is crucial. And after that, I need to make sure not to fuck up,” she summarized.

“Basically,” Ruby grinned.

Emma nodded. “I can do that.”

Her next draw was against Nicholas Zimmer, a young man who barely looked like he was eighteen. Now that she wasn’t as nervous as the first race, she saw people look at her car and laugh. Emma had expected that, the Beetle didn’t look as fancy as the other cars. She didn’t care, she loved the Beetle. It hadn’t been in her possession for very long, but it had already proved its worth. She drove up to the track, getting ready for the second race. Neal was waiting for them, explaining again they were to do a burn out and both Emma and Nicholas performed it. Emma felt more prepared this time as she looked up at the Christmas tree. The light jumped to orange and to green way faster than Emma had anticipated, but she reacted quickly and took off. Nicholas was just ahead of her and Emma floored the gas pedal. It wasn’t enough to win, but Emma knew she could win the next race.

“You were this close,” Ruby told her as she showed Emma the video.

Emma watched it intently and nodded, spotting her flaw. She needed to keep her focus sharp and then she could nail this.

“One last chance,” Emma said as she walked around the Beetle. “I’ve got to nail this.”

“And I’m certain you can,” Ruby told her.

Emma finished checking the car, the tires probably needed replacing after this. She did a quick google search and saw there was a shop nearby. Once again she skimmed the cars gathered, but she didn’t see the black and red car.

“Evil King isn’t here yet,” Ruby told her with a smirk. “They are up later today.”

Emma shrugged. “I wasn’t looking.”

“Yeah, you were,” Ruby chuckled. “You’ve got a car boner.”

Emma flipped her off and stepped into the car. It was almost time for the last race and Emma could feel the nerves resurfacing. This would be her last chance, or she would be going home way sooner than expected. She drove back to the track, noting she was facing William ‘Smee’ Kingsley. Again she performed a burnout, feeling the Beetle shake badly. She prayed she would hold.

“Come on Bug,” she whispered.

The Beetle kept it together through the burnout and Emma drove up to the Christmas tree. This time she kept her eyes glued to the lights, her foot on the pedal, pressing ever so slightly. The light jumped to orange and half a minute later it jumped to green. It had been the longest wait, but Emma never wavered. As soon as it jumped, she pressed down the pedal and sped away. She didn’t see William pull up to her and with a smile she crossed the finish line, making her the winner of her last race. It also meant she made it through the first round. Breathing heavily, she looked up and saw William beating his fists onto the steering wheel. He then looked up and gave her a short nod. Emma smirked at him and drove off the track. She parked the Beetle next to Ruby, who was jumping up and down with excitement.

“You did it! You did it! Oh my god!!” Ruby yelled as she hugged Emma.

Emma smirked and hugged her friend back. She could hardly believe it, she made it through to the next round. She was to drive to Orlando tomorrow.

“I actually did it,” Emma smirked widely.

“This calls for a celebration,” Ruby announced. “Pizza is on me tonight!”

“Deal!”

They decided to watch the rest of the drag races as well. As Ruby had said, Evil King showed up in the last round. They won every race and Emma knew that someday she would have to race against them. Seeing the Evil King race now, Emma was certain they had held back when they had raced against each other and Emma wondered why.

“Zelena is here as well,” Ruby suddenly pointed down the stands.

Emma followed the line of her finger and spotted the redhead on the lower row of the stands. She was clearly filming the races and Emma wondered if she had been filming the other races as well.

“Was she here during the other rounds?” Emma asked Ruby, as she hadn’t paid any attention to the crowd when she had been on the track.

Ruby shook her head. “I haven’t seen her,”

Emma nodded and watched as a car spun out of control, crashing into the border. A collective gasp went through the crowd and applause went up when the driver got out somewhat unscratched.

“That car is totaled,” Ruby said with a frown. “A shame, she was a beauty.”

This was what Emma loved about her friend, Ruby could see cars just like she did. As a piece of art. They both had discovered their love for cars when they had visited an auto show with Granny. Granny hadn’t liked it much, too much noise, but Ruby and Emma had thought they had died and gone to heaven.

“I think it’s not totally lost,” Emma replied. “I think I could fix it.”

“Yeah, like your Toyota?” Ruby teased.

“Shut up,” Emma smirked and gave Ruby a shove against her shoulder.

They watched the rest of the race, Evil King was the big winner. Soon people started to leave, there were rumors the cops were on the way. Emma and Ruby got into the Beetle and drove off. They didn’t go back to the hotel but stopped at what was supposed to be the best pizza place in town. They ordered and sipped their drinks while they waited.

“So, I made a prediction of the challenges,” Ruby told Emma, handing her a piece of paper. “I managed to find someone who participated before.”

Emma nodded as she went over the list. She recognized almost most of the terms and felt fairly confident.

“If this is true, it’s gonna be hard,” Emma sighed. “Especially if Evil King stays in the race,” she added.

“I bet your ass they are,” Ruby replied darkly. “My contact told me Evil King has never lost this cup.”

Emma whistled lowly. “You would think they would give someone else a chance for a change.”

“I don’t even think it’s about the money for them,” Ruby pondered. “I think it’s about the cars.”

Emma nodded. “Well, I think Bug will end up being demolished.”

“…Bug?” Ruby echoed. “You actually named the car?” she laughed.

The waitress arrived with their pizza’s and they dug in.

“It was accidental,” Emma tried to explain. “But now I can’t get rid of it,” she pouted.

“I think it suits,” Ruby shrugged.

Emma chuckled and they talked some more about the coming challenges as they enjoyed their pizza.

“The Bug needs new tires before we hit the road tomorrow,” Emma said as they walked back to the car. “Do you mind picking them up?” she asked as she looked up at Ruby.

“Not at all,” Ruby said. “I’ll drop you off at the hotel and go get them.”

“You’re a champ,” Emma smiled and got into the driver’s seat.

Ruby smirked and dropped Emma off at the hotel. Emma watched the Bug go and walked into the hotel, yawning as she walked up the stairs to her room.

~~~

A sharp knock on the door startled Emma out of her sleep. She had fallen asleep right on top of her laptop, researching the different challenges. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she walked to the door.

“What happened to your key?” she asked as she opened the door.

“My key doesn’t fit on your room, darling,” a silky voice replied, amusement was woven through it.

Emma gaped as she realized it was not Ruby standing before her, but Zelena Mills.

“Uh… Miss Mills… I’m… I’m sorry,” she stumbled.

“Please, call me Zelena. Miss makes me feel so old,” Zelena smiled sweetly. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” she inquired.

“Uh, sure. Sorry,” Emma said and opened the door more so Zelena could step inside.

“Cozy,” Zelena said as she looked around the room.

Emma hastily closed the lid of her laptop, she didn’t want Zelena to think she was an amateur. Even though she technically was one.

“What… uh, to what do I owe this honor?” Emma asked as she looked up at Zelena.

Zelena wandered through the room only to end up at the window. It showed a beautiful sight of the city, the sun was just about to go under.

“I saw you race today,” Zelena told Emma without turning around.

“Uh, okay,” Emma said confused.

“You were good in your last race,” Zelena said.

“Thanks,” Emma replied, wondering what Zelena Mills was doing in her room.

“Tell me, Emma Swan, how long have you been racing?” Zelena suddenly asked, turning to face Emma.

“Uh… almost a year now,” Emma replied, feeling her confidence seep out of her. Zelena would realize now she was an amateur.

Zelena nodded and went back to staring out of the window. “So you lack experience.”

“That doesn’t mean I have no right to be here,” Emma protested.

Zelena turned around with a smirk and leaned against the windowsill with her back. She crossed her arms as she looked up at Emma.

“I never said that,” she said. “Look, you definitely have talent. You can see that from a mile away. You just haven’t been coached,” Zelena explained.

Emma frowned. “Are you offering?”

Zelena let out a cackling laugh, startling Emma. “Strangely enough, yes,” she replied, somewhat pained. “I want to see how far you can get. The talent is there and… Evil King likes to be challenged.”

Emma bit her tongue, she doubted Zelena knew about her little meeting with Evil King. “Why?” Emma asked instead.

Zelena shrugged. “As I said. You have potential, kid. I simply want to help you shape it.”

Emma nodded, she didn’t really trust this. “Do you coach the other drivers too?” she asked.

Zelena laughed again, this time much softer. “God no.” She pushed herself off the windowsill and walked to the door. “We’ll be driving to Tallahassee tomorrow. Make sure you finish in the top fifteen. You’ll get your first lesson when we arrive.”

With that, she walked out of the door, almost bumping into Ruby. Zelena smiled politely at Ruby and disappeared. Ruby closed the door behind her, flabbergasted.

“What was Zelena Mills doing in our room?” she asked.

Emma looked up, still reeling from what just happened. “She offered me lessons.”

Ruby blinked. “What?”

“She offered me lessons,” Emma repeated, shaking her head.

“Why?” Ruby asked as she sunk onto the bed.

“Because she thinks I have potential, but haven’t been coached properly,” Emma explained.

“You’re welcome,” Ruby replied grumpily.

Emma knelt before Ruby and looked up at her. “She said that, not me,” she said.

Ruby shrugged. “She’s right though,” she sighed. “You are very talented and I have no idea how to shape that. I only know what I’ve been taught.”

“Which has helped me tremendously,” Emma told her. “If you don’t want me to do it…”

“No, no, no, you definitely should!” Ruby exclaimed. “Maybe it will get you an opening at their shop.”

Emma chuckled. “I don’t think it works like that,” she said. “And what about our own shop?”

“A stepping stone is always a good thing,” Ruby said. “And if you’re in, you can put in a good word for me.”

Emma laughed and shook her head. “It’s all about you, isn’t it?”

“Always,” Ruby smirked. She glanced at the closed laptop. “How is the research going?” she asked.

“It’s going. I got a text, the next race is toge racing,” Emma told her.

“Okay,” Ruby nodded. “Well, I think this is something up your alley. Basically, stay on the tail of the front driver. If you are the front driver, don’t let the car behind you pass and try to create a considerable gap and finish,” she explained.

Emma nodded, she had gathered as much. “I can do that.”

Ruby smirked. “I know you can.”

“First I have to survive the sprint to Tallahassee,” Emma sighed. “Zelena told me to try and finish in the top fifteen.”

Ruby nodded. “Well, looks like we’ve got a challenge then.”

Emma smirked and nodded. “Thanks for joining me on this adventure, Red,” she said.

“No problem,” Ruby winked and yawned. “Time for bed.”

Emma agreed and after a quick shower, she crawled into bed next to Ruby. Soon she had drifted off to sleep, dreaming about chasing cars and a black and red McLaren…


	4. Chapter 4

Breakfast down in the lobby was tense the next morning. Everyone was ready to get the sprint on and they all knew not everyone would make it. Emma felt nervous about it as well, but she was glad that she knew this. She knew how to sprint and how to win. She needed to think strategically, as it was a long drive and a lot could happen. As Ruby went for a second round, Emma sipped her coffee. She looked around but still couldn’t figure out who could be Evil King. She didn’t see Zelena either, so that didn’t help. Emma knew Zelena belonged to Evil King’s team and she hoped Zelena could lead her to this mysterious driver. The longer Emma was thinking about it, she was certain Evil King was a woman. Emma could understand why she hid. As a female driver, Emma was never being taken seriously. She had noticed it during the street races she did in the past, and she could see other drivers here stare at her and laugh. Emma wished she had thought about hiding her identity, but it was a little too late.

“You okay?” Ruby asked as she said down.

Emma looked up and blinked. “Yeah. Just thinking about the race.”

“You can do it,” Ruby said confidently.

“Thanks,” Emma said and smiled.

They had just finished when Neal showed up at the stage again.

“Good morning, drivers,” he greeted them. “Today we will be moving to Tallahassee. We will do this in the form of a sprint and the first twenty-five to finish will go on through the next round. You all have received information about the next challenge, we will be starting as soon as the night falls. Good luck, and drive safe!”

A laugh went up in the room, everyone knew it would be anything but safe. Sprints could be very intense, especially near the end. Emma emptied her cup of coffee and stood up.

“Let’s go,” she said and Ruby followed her to the Beetle.

Emma opened the door of the Beetle and got in. She frowned when she spotted a new screen installed on her dashboard and looked up when Ruby got in as well.

“What’s this?” Emma asked.

Ruby grinned. “That, my friend, is a radar.” Emma frowned, still puzzled. “It will show our opponents. A friend of mine installed it for us for a sweet little prize.”

Emma smirked and shook her head. “You and your friends,” she chuckled.

“What? They come in handy,” Ruby protested.

“They sure do,” Emma smirked.

~~~

An hour later, Emma found herself lined up in front of the start line. After a quick count from Ruby, they were with at least fifty cars. Emma prayed the cops would stay away, but she doubted it. Such a big show up of obviously modified cars was bound to attract attention. She tapped the wheel impatiently as she waited for the cars before her to start moving, she really didn’t want to have the cops chasing her even before she started.

“What are they waiting for?” Emma wondered.

“No idea,” Ruby replied, just as puzzled.

In the distance, they heard sirens and Emma groaned. “Shit.”

At that moment, the cars in front of her started their engines and started moving. Emma reacted quickly and as soon as she could, she sped away. Apparently, the sirens were the start signs. As Emma looked in her rearview mirror, she could see the sirens. Cursing, she passed a few cars in front of her. She wanted to get out of the city as fast as she could. Fluidly, she passed more and more cars, working her way to the front. Soon she was driving in between the really expansive and fast looking cars. It didn’t take them long to drive out of Florida, hitting the open road. Emma still could hear the sirens, but they were further away.

“Bastards,” Ruby swore. “They forgot to mention that.”

“What did you expect?” Emma asked through gritted teeth, the car in front of her wouldn’t let her pass. “It is illegal after all.”

“I know, but they could have given the start sign before the cops showed up,” Ruby replied.

“I think they were the start sign,” Emma grinned.

Emma spotted a teeny tiny open spot and dashed through it, effectively passing the car in front of her. She smirked, she was good at this.

“If you do this at the challenge tonight, they won’t know what hit them,” Ruby smirked.

“Advantage of a small car,” Emma chuckled.

They managed to move even further up and settled on a comfy tenth place. Emma knew she would have to fight for it when they neared the finish line, but for now she could relax. She glanced at the radar Ruby had installed and could see all the opponents. It even showed her the names and she saw quite a few had disappeared, they had probably been taken by the cops. Emma was glad she had managed to get away so quickly, she didn’t fancy doing time in jail. She had managed to stay out of the claws of the law so far and she liked to keep it that way.

“Have you thought more about the offer Zelena made?” Ruby asked, trying to sound casual.

“Yeah,” Emma nodded. “I think I should do it. I mean, you’re an amazing mentor…”

“But I only know so much,” Ruby winked. “Don’t sweat it, I get it. I would jump at the opportunity too.”

Emma looked aside at her friend and smiled. “Thanks.”

“No worries,” Ruby replied. “I do expect a full report every time of course.”

“Of course,” Emma chuckled and concentrated at the road again. “I wouldn’t have been here if it weren’t for you and Granny,” she added with a sigh.

“Hey, don’t go soft on me now,” Ruby said. “Even without us you would have managed.”

“I’m not so sure, Red. I was in a rough spot when you found me,” Emma admitted. “I owe you guys my life.”

“What’s bringing this on?” Ruby asked curiously.

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. I just realized I never said it.”

Ruby nodded. “Well, you’re family now. You’re good.”

“Thanks,” Emma smiled.

They approached Orlando and drove through the city at the same speed. This of course alerted the cops again, but this time there were no arrests made. Emma suspected they were going too fast for the cop cars and she smirked. Now this was fun. They hardly had time to enjoy Orlando, they left it within fifteen minutes. Emma checked the route, the person who came up with it was really smart. They had managed to find the fastest way through Orlando, which was an accomplishment on its own. Emma passed another car, moving up to eight place. They hit the open road again and Emma let out a breath. She had seen her opponents had been trying to get closer and they had managed to win some terrain in the city. Emma didn’t like it much, it was too crowded. She sped up more, trying to get out of the busy road. Finally, it seemed to thin out and other cars were getting behind again. Emma glanced at the route again, she estimated it was another two hour drive to Tallahassee.

“Nervous for the race tonight?” Ruby asked.

“A bit,” Emma admitted. “I’ve never done toge racing, but I think I can manage. We’ll just have to see,” she added.

Ruby nodded and took a deep breath. “Do you think it would be weird if you took me with you to those lessons?” she suddenly asked.

Emma chuckled. “Yes, Ruby.”

“Dammit,” Ruby swore.

Emma looked aside at her friend. “Jealous?”

“No,” Ruby smirked. “I just hoped you could introduce me to Zelena so I might seduce her,” she said, trying to sound casual.

Emma laughed out loud. “I think Zelena is a bit out of your league,” she chuckled.

“Hey, I can always try!” Ruby objected. “She is fine!”

Emma shook her head, Ruby always had been a womanizer. There was a time she would come home with a different girl every night. Ruby had hidden that fact until they moved in, Granny would have never approved. She was totally okay with them being gay, but Emma could already imagine Granny chasing the girls out of her house with her broom in hand.

“Maybe I can introduce you after a few lessons,” Emma finally offered.

“Yes,” Ruby smirked.

After a two hour drive, they reached Tallahassee. On the route, Emma saw the finish was on the other side of the city. That would be a challenge. She crossed the city line and knew it would be intense now. She followed the route, trying to keep her eighth place. The buildings were flitting by as she raced towards the finish line. Just before the finish line, she got overtaken and finished ninth. Emma wasn’t too disappointed, it wasn’t bad at all. She parked her car at the hotel they would stay at and Ruby whistled.

“That Rumpelstiltskin is one rich mother fucker,” she said as she looked at the fancy looking hotel.

Emma nodded and they walked inside to get their key.

“Emma?”

Both Emma and Ruby whirled around to face Zelena sitting behind them in the lobby. Emma shot Ruby a warning look and walked towards Zelena.

“You’re already here,” Emma observed.

“Finished first,” Zelena replied lightly and looked up at Emma. “I will meet you in an hour at the parking lot. It’s time for your first lesson,” she told Emma.

“Okay,” Emma nodded.

“Oh, and if your friend wants to join, that is no problem,” Zelena said as she eyed Ruby with a smirk.

Emma chuckled. “I will make sure to tell her,” she said and walked back to Ruby.

“And?” Ruby asked curiously as they walked upstairs.

“First lesson in an hour,” Emma told her as she opened the door. “And you are welcome to join.”

Ruby squealed as she followed Emma into the room.

~~~

An hour and fifteen minutes later, Emma and Ruby drove onto an actual racing track. A green Jeep special edition was waiting for them, Zelena leaned against the side of the car. Emma parked the Beetle next to the Jeep and they got out.

“Good, you found it,” Zelena smiled and looked up at Ruby. “I’m glad you came along, I need you to drive the Jeep for me as I ride along with Emma.”

Ruby looked a bit flabbergasted and nodded. Zelena handed Ruby the keys and Ruby accepted them, looking incredulously at Emma. Emma smirked and winked.

“So, we are gonna simulate the touge driving?” Emma asked Zelena.

“Yes, we are,” Zelena replied and looked at the Beetle with a disdain look on her face. “You have an advantage and disadvantage with that car. In pursuit, you have the advantage that you are small. But if you are the lead car, that same advantage is your disadvantage,” she thought out loud.

“But I am fast,” Emma pointed out and Zelena nodded.

“True and that may be your saving grace,” Zelena replied. “Let’s just go and do some test rounds.”

They all got in the cars, Ruby hopped into Zelena’s Jeep and Emma and Zelena stepped into the Beetle. Zelena had to hunch forward a bit to prevent hitting her head on the roof, her long posture didn’t exactly fit into the Beetle. Emma chuckled and moved her chair more to the back so Zelena could at least unfold her legs out of her neck.

“Better?” Emma asked.

“Much,” Zelena groaned. “This is so small!”

“But that is my advantage,” Emma smirked as she started the car.

Zelena huffed and grabbed the walkie talkie from the dashboard. She was about to talk into it when she realized something and looked up at Emma. “What’s your friend’s name?” she asked, frowning.

“Ruby,” Emma replied, already imagining an overly excited Ruby when she would hear Zelena say her name.

Zelena nodded and lifted the walkie talkie to her mouth. “Ruby, I want you to drive in front of us and try to not let Emma pass,” she spoke into it.

There were a few minutes of static sound, then the walkie talkie creaked. “Copy that!”

Ruby started to drive in front of them, picking up speed. Emma followed her, staying close on her tail.

“Now, I want you to try and pass her. If you can’t pass her, try to stay as close as possible,” Zelena instructed.

Emma nodded and focused on the Jeep in front of her. It was big and Emma noticed it reacted slow. She smirked, she probably was able to pass it easily. Soon there was a turn in the track and Emma sped up, passing the Jeep through the inner side of the turn. She smirked at Ruby and sped away.

“Something like that?” Emma asked with a confident smirk.

“You played that well,” Zelena nodded. “But keep in mind that tonight, no one will drive with a Jeep,” she added.

Emma nodded. “I know. Too bad we can’t train with a real race car. Like, for example, the McLaren,” she hinted as she drove back to the starting point.

“Only R… Evil King drives it,” Zelena replied and Emma thought to hear a hint of bitterness in the name. And did she just almost slip the real name of Evil King?

Emma didn’t have much time to ponder this, as Zelena ordered her to be the lead car now. She had also told Ruby not to hold back and Emma needed all her focus to stay ahead of Ruby. She did manage, but she hadn’t managed to escape from Ruby. They repeated this routine for another hour, then Zelena sent them back to the hotel. Ruby drove them back, as Emma was exhausted. Ruby parked the Beetle in front of the hotel and they went straight up to their room. Emma collapsed on the bed face first. Ruby looked worried at her friends.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

Emma looked up. “I’m so tired,” she admitted.

“Why don’t you get some sleep? The race is still a few hours away,” Ruby suggested.

“Mmm good idea,” Emma mumbled and was already asleep before the last syllable left her mouth.

Ruby chuckled, grabbed her laptop and settled on the bed as well. She had some time left to do more research for Emma…

~~~

Sleep had done her well. Emma felt reborn after the two hour nap and she was ready to do this. Today, she was up first and she drove against Sidney Glass. Emma saw they had found an exceptionally small, winding road up a mountain and it would be a definite challenge to pass Sidney. Sidney would start as lead car, meaning Emma needed to pass him before the finish line. She was glad she had a few miles to cover before the finish. Neal fired the pistol and Sidney was off. Emma noticed he was a wild driver, he was all over the place. That did make it harder as he was unpredictable. Yet, halfway up the mountain, he made the mistake of taking the turn too wide and Emma slipped past him on the inner side of the turn. She floored the gas pedal and managed to finish well before him. She grinned, she at least had won this round. Now the roles were reversed, Emma was lead car. They took the same road down again and even if Sidney made a few very good attempts of passing her, Emma stayed ahead of him. She remembered her lessons from Zelena and stayed focused. She managed to lose him in the last mile and won the race. Sidney was raging when he stepped out of the car.

“This is not fair!” he yelled. “She doesn’t even have a real race car and… it’s a she!” he went on.

“And yet she beat you fair and square,” Zelena told him calmly and Emma smirked.

It was only then she noticed the red and black car a bit away from the spectators. Evil King was here and they were watching her. Emma’s interest was piqued again and wanted nothing more than to walk over, but she knew she would chase Evil King away. Emma was itching to tell them she knew. She wanted to tell them that she got it and that she wished she had thought of the same.

“You were amazing!” Ruby suddenly shouted in her ear and Emma grinned, hugging her friend.

There were a few more races before Emma was up again. This time she raced against Stefan Woodward, Emma would start leading. Neal once again fired the pistol and Emma floored it. She managed to stay ahead easily until the last mile before the finish. Stefan suddenly turned up and took her by surprise. Emma was bummed but knew there was one more chance to win.  
They changed positions and this time Stefan was leading. He was clearly not very good at this, as Emma overtook him in the first turn. She sped away and made sure he didn’t turn up again at the last mile. He did show up on her right, but Emma was prepared. She cut him off and managed to cross the line first. This made her the winner of the round and was safely through to the next day.

~~~

Neal told them they would stay in Tallahassee for another night before heading to Houston. They would, however, face another challenge today, drifting. He sent the route to their cellphones and, smiling, Emma looked up at Ruby.

“Now this is what I’m talking about,” she smirked.

Ruby chuckled and nodded. “You’re going to nail this,” she agreed. “Heard anything from Zelena?” she asked, trying not to sound suspicious.

Emma chuckled. “No, I have not. Apart from her congratulations on winning yesterday,” she replied.

“Okay,” Ruby nodded.

Emma and Ruby decided to spend their time at the pool until it was time for the race. Neither of them ever had the luxury of a pool at their disposal and they took advantage of it being available now. They did some laps in the deep pool and splashed around in the kiddy pool. When Emma’s phone beeped, they knew it was time to go. They quickly took a shower and jumped into the car. As they drove to the starting point, Emma learned she only needed to do one race and that she no longer was considered a rookie.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Ruby asked confused.

“Probably that I’ve proven myself and that I’m playing with the big boys now,” Emma replied and pointed through the windshield at the sight before them.

A small crowd was gathered and only one car was waiting for her at the start line. It was the black and red McLaren.

“Shit,” Ruby whispered. Emma nodded and dropped Ruby off at the corner of the street. “Good luck,” she said.

“Thanks,” Emma replied.

She pulled up next to the black and red car, looking aside it. The windows were still impenetrable, all Emma could see was a shadow. Still, Emma could feel Evil King was looking at her.

Neal appeared on her side of the car and Emma looked up.

“Hey,” he greeted her.

“Hey,” Emma replied.

“Look, this race is for fun. To see your skills. If you lose, you won’t be out,” he told her.

Emma nodded. “Thanks.”

“But if you do win, you’ll move up in the ranks and get a start at the front line tomorrow,” he said and pulled back.

Emma took a deep breath. Starting at the front would have its benefits for sure. Emma activated her navigation system and saw the route unfold on the screen. They were to drive a literal block and finish here again.  
She looked up and saw a blonde woman standing in between their cars holding a white cloth. The woman winked at her, but it didn’t do much for Emma. She wasn’t her type. The woman dropped the cloth and both Emma and Evil King sped off. Emma reached the first turn first but could see Evil King was on her tail. Emma spun through the turn and sped off towards the next turn. She reached this one first as well, but Evil King was closing in on her. Emma came out of the turn first again and sped through the third turn. Evil King passed her, going into the turn first. Emma swore, she knew she wouldn’t be able to catch up. Yet she stayed on Evil King’s tail, hoping they would make a mistake in the last turn. But what Emma saw was a piece of art and she wasn’t even mad Evil King won. It had been amazing to see the master at work.

“That was close!” Neal beamed at her as she got out of the car. “I think I’ve never seen anyone staying this close to them.”

“Thanks,” Emma smiled.

She looked up and saw the black and red car disappear around the corner…


	5. Chapter 5

They were expected in the lobby before the sun went up and Emma still felt sleepy. Ruby handed her some much-needed coffee and Emma groaned appreciatively.

“You’re a godsend,” she told Ruby.

Ruby chuckled and sat down next to her. “You tell me that every morning.”

“Because it’s true!” Emma yawned.

Ruby shook her head and picked up her phone. “Do you know the next challenge yet?” she asked when Emma seemed more awake.

“No,” Emma shook her head. “I think we will know when we’re in Houston.”

Ruby nodded and was about to say something when Zelena appeared next to their table.

“Good morning,” she told them and pulled up a chair.

“Uh, good morning,” Ruby replied.

“To what do we owe this awfully early visit?” Emma asked curiously.

“I’m going to drive with you to Houston,” Zelena announced.

“Uh, but how do I get to Houston then?” Ruby asked flabbergasted.

“You can take my car,” Zelena replied simply and placed her keys on the table. “I’m sure you’ll understand.” Ruby looked up at Emma, who shrugged helplessly. Ruby sighed and took Zelena’s key. “Please be careful with her, I don’t want to see a scratch on her,” Zelena warned.

“I’ll take good care of her,” Ruby replied, slightly grumpy.

“Great,” Zelena beamed. “I’m glad that that’s settled. I’ll see you at your car in an hour then.”

Zelena got up and left the table. Ruby glanced at Emma, disgruntled. “What the fuck was that?” she spat.

“I don’t know!” Emma exclaimed. “Apparently she wants to ride with me.”

“But why now? It’s like a ten-hour drive to Houston,” Ruby groaned.

“At least you don’t have to hear me whine about Evil King,” Emma teased.

“Ha ha,” Ruby glared. “I mean, I do get it. She wants to coach you, but can’t she do that in Houston?” she continued.

“Clearly not? I don’t know, Red,” Emma tried desperately to calm her friend, they were attracting some unwanted attention.

“On the other hand, her Jeep does ride like a dream,” Ruby suddenly said.

“See? You’ll be there in no time,” Emma smirked. “Come on, I want to go back up.”

Ruby nodded and they left the lobby to freshen up and get their stuff.

~~~

Tapping the steering wheel nervously, Emma sat waiting in the car for Zelena. She had said she would be there in an hour, but Emma had been waiting for ten minutes now. Finally, she heard the tick-tacking of heels and she looked up. Zelena approached the car and slid into the passenger seat. She hit her head against the roof as she settled in the seat.

“Ow, I forgot how small this car is,” she complained.

Emma chuckled. “Yeah, it’s no Jeep.”

“I know that,” Zelena deadpanned.

“Ready to go?” Emma asked as she started the car.

Zelena nodded and Emma drove off the parking lot towards where they would start. More cars had gathered and Emma drove up to the line.

“Are you ready for another crazy ride?” Zelena asked as she looked aside at Emma.

“Always,” Emma smirked. “Ruby wasn’t all too happy with you,” she said as they waited for the start sign.

“I’ll make it up to her,” Zelena promised her.

Emma chuckled, she bet Ruby would love to hear that. “Why did you want to ride with me anyway?” she asked.

“Because I want to get to know you better,” Zelena explained. “Seeing as I’m coaching you,” she winked.

Emma nodded and was about to reply when the line started moving. She let go of the brakes and started to push forward. Soon they were speeding out of town and Emma was fighting her way to the front.

“Who taught you how to drive?” Zelena asked when they had settled at the twelfth place.

“First my teacher from the driving school. But Ruby taught me how to drive in street races,” Emma told her.

“You and Ruby are very close,” Zelena observed quietly.

“Well, yes. She’s my foster sister,” Emma confided in her, she felt she could trust Zelena.

“Which of you was in the system?” Zelena questioned carefully.

“Me,” Emma replied. “I was dumped on the stoop of the orphanage, and at some point, Granny, Ruby’s grandmother, became my foster mom. She eventually adopted me and that is how I become a part of the family.”

“I’m sorry,” Zelena offered.

“It’s okay,” Emma said. “I ended up okay.”

Zelena nodded and silence fell between them as the miles passed. Emma did look at Zelena every once in a while, expecting more questions. But none came and Emma became curious herself.

“So, do you work at your father's auto shop?” she asked.

“Hell no,” Zelena chuckled. “I’m actually a child psychiatrist.”

Emma abruptly looked at her, her mouth dropped open. “No way,” she breathed. “Then what the hell are you doing here?” she asked.

“Because I always join my… I’m a part of Evil King’s team. They want me around for my people skills and analytic eye, ” Zelena replied.

Emma chuckled impressed. “So, you’re an all-rounder then?”

Zelena smirked and nodded. “You could put it that way, yes. What do you do for a living?” she asked.

“I work at Geppetto’s auto shop as a mechanic, back in Boston. I actually fixed this one up after I crashed my Toyota,” Emma told her. “I plan to put it back together when I’m back. I didn’t have time to get it ready in time for the race.”

“I see,” Zelena nodded. “What do you find so fascinating about cars?” she asked curiously.

Emma shrugged. “Cars make sense to me. I like to figure out how they are built and what makes them work. I’m one of the quickest in the shop to find out a problem with any car. As I said, they make sense to me,” she told Zelena sheepishly.

Zelena nodded thoughtfully. “Kind of like how I see people. I like to find out what makes them tick, you know,” she said.

Emma smiled and looked aside at the redhead. Her features had softened and there was a passionate glance in her eyes. Emma hadn’t seen her like this before, but she liked this Zelena.

“Yeah,” Emma agreed. “So, how did you end up on Evil King’s team?” she asked curiously. She couldn’t find the link.

Zelena’s features hardened and the passionate glance disappeared. “I’m Evil King’s sister,” she said shortly.

“So, you know their identity?” Emma said incredulously. She didn’t believe anyone had managed to get this close to Evil King.

“Of course,” Zelena chuckled and looked up at Emma with a smirk. “But I’m not telling you.”

Emma sighed and nodded, of course it couldn’t have been this easy. “I didn't expect you to,” she grinned.

Zelena chuckled and shook her head. “I kind of lied to you earlier,” she admitted softly, not looking up at Emma.

“About what?” Emma asked, frowning.

“About why I’m coaching you,” Zelena said with a sigh. “Evil King set me up to do it. They like you,” she added, a knowing smile played around her mouth.

Emma blinked slowly, processing this new information. Evil King liked her? Emma swallowed, if she was right in her theory, Evil King wouldn’t only be a woman, but also gay.

“They like me?” Emma echoed. “Like, my driving style, or…?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

Zelena finally looked up, the smile was still on her face. “I had thought you were a bit smarter than that, Swan,” she chuckled. “Evil King likes likes you.”

Emma looked up briefly to stare at Zelena. “But… how? We've never even met,” Emma said, her voice shaking.

Zelena shrugged. “Don’t ask me,” she said, looking out of the window.

“But you are the shrink here,” Emma protested.

“Yeah, for kids,” Zelena replied. “Adults are so much more complicated. Especially Evil King.”

“Why?” Emma asked, but Zelena shook her head.

“I can’t discuss that with you. Doctor-patient confidentiality,” she smirked.

Emma shook her head. “So you're their shrink as well?” Zelena looked at her tiredly and Emma chuckled. “Alright, shutting up,” she smirked.

“Good,” Zelena said. “I want to go over the next challenge with you.”

“But we don’t know what it is yet,” Emma frowned.

“I do,” Zelena replied with a smile. “I know Neal, so he told me.”

“Lucky,” Emma smiled. “So, what is it?”

“Drag race,” Zelena told her, and Emma groaned. “I know, you weren’t great at it last time. That’s why I wanted to ride with you, so I can go over the tactics with you.”

Emma nodded and listened to Zelena as she sped towards Houston…

~~~

Emma met up with Ruby an hour after she had arrived in Houston. Ruby wasn’t as cranky as Emma had expected, she was actually pretty cheerful.

“Zelena promised to make it up to me for forcing me to part with you,” Ruby smirked as she plopped down on the bed.

“I know,” Emma chuckled. “I found some things out,” she added.

“Oooh, gossip. Give it to me,” Ruby grinned.

“Firstly, the next challenge is a drag race,” Emma started. “Zelena told me on the way and I feel better prepared now. I can nail this,” she smiled.

“Awesome!” Ruby beamed. “Too bad you can’t practice that.” Emma nodded and smirked. “What?” Ruby asked curiously.

“There’s more,” Emma said mysteriously. “I found out that Zelena is Evil King’s sister and that Evil King likes likes me,” she smirked.

“What?? Why didn’t you start with that?” Ruby exclaimed excitedly, sitting up straight.

“Because if I had done that, you wouldn’t have listened to anything else,” Emma chuckled, she knew her friend.

“Fair enough,” Ruby smirked. “But, wait, Evil King likes you? You two haven’t even met! What if it’s a dude?” she suddenly said.

“I said the same to Zelena, but she refused to elaborate on that. And regarding their gender, I have a theory,” Emma started and she told her about the emails she had exchanged with EQ, and when EQ had shown up at the factory it had been Evil King. “I think EQ stands for Evil Queen and therefor Evil King is a woman.”

“Why would they do that?” Ruby questioned with a frown, it all sounded so complicated.

Emma sighed. “Haven’t you noticed there aren’t many female drivers? I think I’m the only one. And haven’t you noticed how they treat me?” Emma asked.

Ruby nodded thoughtfully, she had noticed that. “I have, but I thought it was because you were a newbie,” she said.

“I’m no newbie anymore and they still do it,” Emma said. “I think Evil King doesn’t want to be judged based on their gender,” she added.

“Smart,” Ruby sighed. “But you have no hard proof.”

Emma shook. “I know, and that’s why I hadn’t told you yet. I didn’t want to spread false rumors.”

“You know I would never tell this to anyone,” Ruby protested, feeling butt hurt.

“I know,” Emma said hastily. “I just… I should have told you,” she sighed.

“Yeah,” Ruby said. “But I get it. It’s only a theory,” she added.

“It is, but…” Emma started, but Ruby stopped her.

“Hey, don’t sweat it. You were protecting them,” Ruby said.

“I guess,” Emma shrugged. “I’m sorry.”

“Already forgiven and forgotten,” Ruby replied. “Did you manage to get more out of Zelena?” she asked curiously.

Emma shook her head. “Only that she doesn’t work for Henry Mills and is a child psychiatrist,” Emma told her.

“Interesting,” Ruby said. “I hadn’t expected that.”

“Me neither,” Emma replied. “If I read correctly between the lines, she's not so fond of the family business,” she added.

“Then what is she doing here?” Ruby frowned.

“Evil King asked her for her people skills and analytic eye,” Emma relayed.

“I see,” Ruby said. “Interesting woman.”

“And way above your league,” Emma laughed out loud.

Ruby scowled. “We’ll see after she ‘pays me back’,” she smirked.

Emma shook her head and fell back into the pillows. Ruby dove into her phone, which gave Emma the time to think.  
Knowing Evil King actually liked her, gave Emma chills. Apparently, Evil King had been watching her and the fact that they set Zelena up to coach her, meant something. Emma couldn’t wait to find out who was behind this Evil King, but she also didn’t want to scare them. She figured she needed Evil King to come to her, but she didn’t know what she could do so Evil King would trust her enough. Emma sighed, this was not easy. Her curiosity burned every time she saw the black and red McLaren.

“You coming?” Ruby asked, pulling Emma out of her thoughts.

Emma checked her watch and saw it was almost time for the challenge and jumped up.

“Yes.”

She followed Ruby out of the door, picking up her red leather jacket…

~~~

Even though Emma felt prepared, she was still very nervous. She tapped the steering wheel and took a deep breath. Neal motioned her and her opponent forward to perform the burnout. The Beetle shook, but still hold. Emma smiled, she was growing very fond of her Bug. She looked up and spotted the black and red McLaren and she suppressed the urge to wave at them. She did smile brightly in the direction of the car, hoping Evil King would see it. Neal motioned them forward and Emma focused on the Christmas tree.

‘No matter what, never take your eyes off it,’ Zelena had told her.

Emma kept staring at the orange light, her foot on the gas pedal. As soon as it jumped to green, Emma floored it and sped away. Her opponent stayed behind her and Emma smirked as she passed the finish line. Zelena’s coaching had helped and Emma couldn’t wait to thank her. She couldn’t just yet, she had another race to go.

“You nailed it!” Ruby grinned when Emma found her among the spectators.

“Thanks,” Emma smirked and glanced to the side to where the black and red McLaren had been standing.

It was gone and Emma felt a tang of disappointment. She had hoped she would've been able to casually walk up, but Evil King was way too smart for that. Emma looked around and saw they had lost a lot of racers already. She felt proud she had made it this far, she hadn’t really expected it.

“One more race, right?” Ruby asked.

Emma nodded. “Yeah, I’m up last.”

Ruby nodded and both of them focused on the racers. Soon it was time for Emma to go back to her car and Ruby wished her good luck.  
Emma walked to the Beetle, checked it over, and made her way to the water box for the burnout. She made a mental note to ask Ruby to get new tires after this, they were wearing out. Emma waited for the previous race to finish and saw she was facing off a young man, who looked full of confidence. As soon as he spotted her, his grin grew wider and Emma shook her head. She would wipe the floor with him, she could feel it in her bones. She glanced up at Neal and once again spotted the black and red McLaren. Apparently, Evil King only showed up for her races. Emma smirked, she felt charmed by the sentiment. Her head snapped up when Neal motioned for them to come forward for the water box. Emma drove forward and hit the gas pedal while simultaneously breaking. Emma heard the Beetle creak and shake, but she held once again. Emma almost wanted to pet the Bug on the dashboard but refrained herself. After the burnout, Emma drove forward to the Christmas tree and kept her eyes trained at it. This time, the green appeared almost immediately and Emma sped off. Once again, she left her opponent behind her and won the second race, securing her place in the race. Emma smirked, she was getting the hang of this.

~~~

It had taken some searching, but Emma had found Zelena’s hideout. At the back of the hotel were a few expansive trailers parked and at first, Emma thought it belonged to the organizers, but then she had spotted the name Mills on the side of the trailers. She was now walking between the trailers and spotted a makeshift workplace. The black and red McLaren was parked there and Emma walked towards it. It was the first time she had been able to be this close to the car and it was even more beautiful up close. As she entered the workplace, she spotted someone in a wheelchair next to the car. The hood was lifted up and the person in the wheelchair was oblivious to Emma’s presence. Emma suddenly realized this must be Evil King, the mysterious and evasive driver. She took in the wheels and the person in the chair. It was hard to see if it was a male or female from this position, as they were wearing a wide hoodie.

Emma suddenly realized she was staring and cleared her throat. The person in the wheelchair turned around and Emma's mouth dropped. Before her appeared the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on. The woman had chocolate brown eyes, very distinctive features, and there was a tiny scar above her lip. Emma couldn’t really see, but she thought the woman had brown hair, she couldn’t see the length. Emma’s eyes glided down, the woman had a slim figure from what she could see. She startled when she realized this woman didn’t seem to have legs and once again she realized she was staring and dragged her eyes up quickly.

“What are you doing here?” the woman barked, pulling Emma out of her reveries. Emma noticed the voice sounded hoarse, like it hadn’t been used in a while.

Emma swallowed and focused on the eyes. “I… I was looking for Zelena,” she said.

“Well, she’s not here, is she?” the woman scolded.

“Ehh, no,” Emma replied. “So, you're Evil King, huh?” she asked, a small smile played around her mouth.

The woman frowned. “No, I am not,” she objected. “What makes you think I am?”

“Because you are standing next to their car,” Emma pointed out, knowing she was right.

“Yeah, I was admiring the car,” the woman huffed, crossing her arms defensively.

As she did that, Emma saw she was holding a pair of car keys and Emma’s grin grew.

“While holding the keys?” Emma asked, glancing at the keys.

“I found them on the ground,” the woman replied, her eyes grew big.

“Uhuh,” Emma said and walked closer. “No fun being caught, huh?” she smiled.

The woman looked like she was going to protest, but gave up. “Fine. Yes, I’m Evil King,” the woman sneered. “Happy?”

“Very,” Emma smirked and held out her hand. “I’m Emma,” she said.

The woman raised an eyebrow as she looked up at Emma. “I know,” she deadpanned.

“I know you know that,” Emma replied, still holding out her hand. The woman stared at it but made no movements to shake it. “Come on, you can’t expect me to keep calling you Evil King.” The woman sighed and looked back up at Emma. Emma was taken aback at the sight of the vulnerability in the woman’s face, it was mixed with fear. “Look, I won’t tell anyone. About any of this, I promise,” she said and she dropped to her knees to be at eye level with the woman. “You can trust me.”

The woman still didn’t move, her eyes bore themselves into Emma’s. Emma forced herself to keep her gaze steady. Slowly, the fear disappeared, but the vulnerability stayed.

“I’m Regina,” the woman finally said softly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Regina,” Emma smiled.

“Good, you two have met each other.”

Both Emma and Regina looked up, only to find a smirking Zelena in the doorway…


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was coming up slowly when Emma stretched her back. She had been working on the Beetle since 5 a.m. that morning as she couldn’t sleep. The events of last night had kept haunting her and, eventually, Emma had given up. Ruby of course had been dead to the world, that seemed to be a talent of hers. Emma sighed as she bent down under the hood again, the events of last night replaying once again in her head.

_“Zelena,” Emma stammered and stood up straight. “I was looking for you,” she said._

_“I know,” Zelena smirked as she walked closer._

_“You purposefully stayed away?” Regina bristled, looking up at her sister._

_Zelena nodded. “I was kind of tired giving you a minute to minute report of what was Emma doing.”_

_Emma looked at Regina with a puzzled look and saw Regina was turning red. Regina clamped up completely, send Zelena a withering look, and wheeled away. Emma watched her go and felt disappointed she couldn’t talk to this mysterious woman anymore. She turned around to face Zelena, who looked downright guilty._

_“What was that?” Emma asked sharply._

_“That was me royally screwing up,” Zelena sighed. “I shouldn’t have interfered.”_

_“I’m so confused right now,” Emma said._

_Zelena walked over to Emma. “Regina hasn’t said a word since her accident two years ago,” Zelena explained. “She just plainly refused to talk and communicates the necessary over her stupid note pad. I haven’t heard my sister’s voice in two years and hearing it again made me hopeful. I figured that if she talked to a stranger…”_

_“She would talk to you again,” Emma nodded, she understood._

_“But instead, I chased her away,” Zelena sighed. “I’m sorry.”_

_“You don’t have to apologize to me,” Emma said. “I get it. I would get excited too.”_

_“Thanks,” Zelena smiled. “I don’t know why she is so drawn to you. But ever since she saw you at the illegal street race — you know the one where you approached her car for the first time — she’s pestering me about it.”_

_“You mean she was in the car then?” Emma asked astounded._

_Zelena nodded. “She never leaves it, unless she feels safe.”_

_“Damn,” Emma sighed and looked at the direction in which Regina disappeared. “I think you need to go find her.”_

_Zelena shrugged. “It’s not much use, I’m afraid. She won’t say anything.”_

_“Try anyway. And apologize for interrupting,” Emma instructed._

_“Yes, ma’am,” Zelena mock saluted and started to walk away. “By the way, you did great,” she said and winked at Emma._

_“Thanks.”_

_Emma watched her walk away and walked back to the hotel, more confused than ever…_

She hadn’t been able to shake that feeling of being confused all night. So now she was doing the only thing that made sense to her, fixing cars. The Beetle had been hit hard after the last drag race and it was almost falling apart. So Emma had checked every screw and tightened everything up again. She was checking over the motor now but still felt confused. Why did Regina have such an interest in her? They didn’t even know each other, but Emma had felt something deep down in the pit of her stomach when she had first laid eyes on Regina. Maybe she had felt the same? Maybe it was love at first sight?  
Emma sighed, she had never really understood love. She never had a serious relationship; most of the time it was one-night stands. Once, she had attempted a serious relationship but her trust had been betrayed brutally. Ever since, Emma had decided love wasn’t in her cards and she had been fine with it. That was until she had laid eyes on Regina.

“Why are you up so bloody early?” Emma startled and, as she stretched to see who was behind her, she hit her head against the hood. Ruby was standing behind her, yawning. “I didn’t hear you come in last night either. Where were you?” she asked.

“Uh, I was off finding Zelena. And to answer your first question, I couldn’t sleep,” Emma replied. “Pre-race jitters, I guess.”

“You never had them,” Ruby frowned. “Did you find Zelena?” she asked as she leaned against the car.

“I did,” Emma nodded and dove back under the hood.

“Good,” Ruby replied. “Did you by any chance find out who her sibling is?” she asked.

Once again Emma bumped her head against the hood as she ricocheted upwards again. “No, no clue,” she hastily said and she was glad Ruby couldn’t see her tomato-red face right now.

“Hmmm, too bad,” Ruby replied. “Am I riding with you today?” she asked as she dove under the hood as well.

“Yeah,” Emma replied, and prayed Ruby wouldn’t pry any further on her visit to Zelena.

“Awesome. Wanna grab some breakfast?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah,” Emma nodded. “She should be riding smoothly now again.”

Ruby smirked as Emma closed the hood. Emma locked the Beetle and they walked off to the hotel to get some breakfast…

~~~

Frustrated, Zelena paced in front of Regina’s trailer. She had tried to talk to Regina the night before, but Regina had just shut her out. Finally, Zelena was done with it and she stepped up to the trailer, pounding on the door.

“Regina! Let me in!” she called out as she kept pounding. To her surprise, the door swung open and Regina stood in the doorway. “Can I come in?” she asked.

Regina shrugged and wheeled back into the trailer. Zelena took that as a good sign and stepped into the trailer. She looked around, she hadn’t been in here before, it looked cozy. Zelena closed the door behind her and looked at her sister. It had been so long they had actually been alone together, Zelena could hardly remember it. Zelena sat down across from Regina, who slid her notepad towards Zelena.

“What do you want?”

Zelena swallowed and slid the pad back. “To talk to you,” she replied.

“I don’t have much to say,” Regina replied and looked everywhere but at Zelena.

“You were pretty talkative last night though,” Zelena remarked, she couldn’t hide the sharp edge of pain in her voice.

“She started,” Regina wrote down.

Zelena chuckled dryly. “I remember I started once, too.”

“Yeah, a year after the accident.”

Regina was scowling at her as she crossed her arms. Zelena swallowed thickly, she knew she had been avoiding Regina after the accident.

“I’m sorry about that,” Zelena started. “I… I just didn’t know what to say or do. And I did try, I came to see you the night after the accident. But you refused to talk to me or to even look at me. What was I to think?” Zelena burst out. “You'd never rejected me before and I didn’t know what to do with that.”

Regina stayed quiet for a long time before she grabbed her notepad again.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Zelena balled her fists in frustration. “You never want to talk.”

“Just leave it, okay?”

“No!” Zelena slammed her fists on the table, startling Regina. “You opened your mouth to someone who is practically a stranger while you haven’t said a word to me, your parents, or your friends.”

“Because I just can’t.”

“Why?” Zelena demanded to know.

“Because I brought this on myself.”

Flabbergasted, Zelena stared at the words. Regina was blaming herself? She wasn’t blaming Zelena? Zelena shook her head, Regina clearly didn’t know. She hadn’t told Emma this, but up until two years ago, Zelena had worked as a mechanic in her father’s shop. Both she and Regina had been working on the Chevy Camaro, Regina’s previous car. Regina had wanted to make it ready for illegal street racing and Zelena had refused. On that fatal night, Zelena had been working on the car, and just before she had left, she had seen that there had been a system failure on the board computer. It had been late and she decided to run diagnostics the next day. Only, Regina had taken the car and crashed.

“How do you figure that?” Zelena asked.

Regina shook her head. “I’m not ready.”

“Oh, come on,” Zelena stared incredulously at her sister. She looked so broken and lost and Zelena wanted to get up and hug her. “You do know who you’re talking to, right?” she said softly.

“And that’s why I can’t talk about it,” Regina replied. “Because you will hate me.”

Zelena frowned at this. “I would never.”

Regina looked away from her as she once again handed Zelena the notepad.

“Please go.”

Zelena felt like yelling, but when she looked up at Regina, she saw Regina was crying softly. Zelena threw down the notepad, knelt in front of Regina, and wrapped her in a bear hug. Regina fought against it but finally relaxed in Zelena’s arms. Zelena held her tightly and let Regina cry…

~~~

They were halfway to El Paso when Ruby asked about Evil King again. Emma had hoped she wouldn’t ask again, but that had been in vain.

“Did you see the McLaren when you were looking for Zelena?” Ruby asked and Emma knew where this was going.

“I did,” Emma replied and smirked. “It’s a real piece of art up close.”

“It’s already a piece of art from a distance, so duh,” Ruby chuckled. “So Evil King really left it out of their sight?” she pondered out loud.

Emma had to bite her tongue not to tell Ruby. She didn’t even know what there was to tell. She hardly spoke with Regina, only knew she was Evil King indeed. Emma didn’t think Regina would like it if she blew her carefully crafted cover.

“Apparently,” Emma replied. “But I don’t doubt there were cameras around.”

Ruby nodded. “Probably. Would have been something if you, a rookie, actually uncovered their true identity,” she smirked.

Emma chuckled. “It would be indeed.”

“Would it be very awkward if I were to join the race next year?” Ruby wondered out loud. “I mean, I love being your second hand, but…”

“You want to race,” Emma finished for her. “Of course, you should totally do that!” she exclaimed excitedly.

“Cool,” Ruby grinned. “I’ll have to fix my car though. It’s not really fit for drag racing.”

“Neither is this one, but it did the job,” Emma said and once again fought the urge to pat the dashboard.

“You were lucky Geppetto had this one stored,” Ruby said. “You would’ve been screwed without it.”

Emma shrugged. “Then I would have joined next year. No biggie.”

“So, no hard feelings?” Ruby asked, just to be sure.

“No,” Emma replied, shaking her head. “It would be an honor to race against you.”

Ruby grinned and leaned back into her chair. “I’m so going to kick your ass.”

Emma smirked and focused on driving again. They were approaching El Paso and if she had seen it right, she was third now. She had number two in sight and she floored the pedal. She surpassed number two and could already spot the red and black McLaren. Emma frowned, it looked like Regina was distracted. She wasn’t driving very fast and Emma soon pulled up next to her. She tried to glance inside, but of course only saw the silhouette.

“Floor it!” Ruby yelled, the finish line was already in sight.

Emma glanced one more time at the McLaren, made a quick decision, and floored it. She surpassed Regina just before the finish and passed the line first. She had expected to feel triumph, but all she felt was worry. As soon as she had stopped the car, she stepped out, but Regina already had vanished. Emma swore softly, something was up with her. Had she overstepped some boundary? She didn’t think so, otherwise Regina wouldn’t have let her win.

“You did it! You beat Evil King!” Ruby yelled in her ear and pulled her out of her worries.

“Yes!” Emma smirked and let herself be pulled into the impromptu party.

She was being hauled a hero and it was only when Neal broke up the party, telling them they needed to get ready for the next race, that Emma found herself alone. She yearned to go find Regina and see if she was alright, but there simply wasn’t time. The next race would start in less than an hour and she needed to prepare. She shook her head and walked around the Beetle to check for any damages or things that needed to be fixed. The car looked in good shape still and Emma decided to head up to the hotel to get some food.

~~~

Night had fallen and Emma found herself right in front the starting line. She had moved up in the ranking and was in third place now. Regina was still number one, despite her loss today. Emma spotted the red and black car at the number one place and she wondered if Regina had her head in the game yet. She shook her head, she needed to focus here. The race was about to start and she was worried about her opponent. Emma looked straight ahead, waiting for the green light. They were with 25 racers left and they had all lined up at the main street of El Paso, ready to go for a real street race. Emma was excited, this was something she was actually good at.  
Finally, the light turned to green and Emma floored the pedal. She tailed Regina through the city, but the Beetle couldn’t keep up. Emma fell back to the twelfth spot and she cursed. She needed to drive technically now and not rely on speed. She managed to squish back forward, landing on the tenth spot. She knew there was no way she could make it to the front, the Bug simply couldn’t handle that.  
Emma glanced aside; in worst case she still had the nitro. She raced through the street, sirens audible in the background. There was no way she was going to get caught now, not when she was so close. Out of nowhere, a police car came from her left and Emma swerved over the sidewalk to avoid a collision. She floored the pedal again, speeding away. She diverted a bit from the route to shake the cop and saw, to her surprise, that she had moved up to the ninth place when she picked up the route again. Emma smirked and saw a glimpse of a blue car, Hook. He was still in the race as well and Emma wasn’t surprised. She’d heard some wild stories about him jumping off a cliff, only to be picked up out of the air by a helicopter. Emma hadn’t believed half of it, but now that she saw him drive, she could believe some of the stories. He was all over the place and Emma hardly could keep track of him. She was glad he hadn’t been her opponent in the touge race.  
A look on her navigation told her she was almost at the finish and she saw that five cars had already finished. She swore softly, she had planned to be in the top five. She glanced at Hook again, decided to overtake him, and floored the pedal once more. Suddenly the finish line was there and Emma finished ninth, she hadn’t managed to overtake Hook. She shook her head but was happy nonetheless. She had finished in the top ten and for now that was good enough.  
Emma stepped out of the car and took a deep breath. As she looked around, she saw Regina had already vanished.

“Hey, ninth place! Well done!”

Emma looked up and saw Zelena walking towards her. She smiled at the redhead.

“Thanks,” she said.

“You’re getting better, kid,” Zelena winked.

Emma chuckled. “I do my best,” she said. “Have you talked to Regina yet?” she asked anxiously.

Zelena’s smile dropped immediately and she diverted her gaze. “Sort of.”

“Shit, I didn’t mean…” Emma started, but Zelena stopped her with a simple hand gesture.

“It’s alright,” she softly said. “A talk between me and… you know, was long overdue,” she said, glancing around. They were getting spectators and Zelena gave Emma a small nod. “With the congratulations from Evil King,” she said a bit louder, so the spectators would hear for sure.

Zelena disappeared in the crowd, as Emma was receiving shoulder pads and handshakes. She apparently had also risen in the social ranks. No one was giving her shit anymore about being female, they respected her as a driver and racer. Ruby finally found her way to Emma and hugged her tightly.

“You did it!” she yelled.

Emma smirked and let herself being dragged off to the hotel where another party ensued.

~~~

It was a couple of hours later when Emma walked out of the hotel. The party had died down and Emma had gone to her room only to find Ruby in bed with a random girl. Emma had decided not to break it up, she had been the one to drag Ruby down here, her friend deserved some fun. But now Emma was kind of homeless and she had half a mind to just crash in the Bug. She knew she would be sore all over tomorrow, but she would survive a night in the car. When she had been younger, she had spent more than one night sleeping in a car. Mind made up, Emma headed towards the parking lot.

“Can’t sleep either?”

Emma startled and spotted a lone figure standing on a hill next to the parking lot. She had recognized the husky voice — Regina. Emma jogged up the hill and looked incredulously at a standing Regina.

“Prosthetic legs,” Regina explained, seeing Emma’s stare.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare,” Emma stuttered. “And I’ve been sort of kicked out of my room by my friend, she’s hooking up with some lady,” she explained.

Regina frowned. “That’s not very nice of her.”

Emma shrugged and looked up. El Paso stretched out before her, lights were twinkling in the dark night. “It’s okay, she deserves some fun.”

Regina sat down on the grassy ground, Emma followed her example. “And what do you do for fun, Emma Swan?” Regina asked as she looked aside at the blonde next to her.

Emma didn’t meet her gaze. “Not much. Having the occasional one-night stand, going to a bar, hanging with friends, playing some online racing games,” Regina chuckled at that. “You know, the regular things.”

“One-night stands. Not much of a relationship type of girl?” Regina asked.

Emma didn’t answer straight away. She didn’t know what it was, but she found it easy to bare her heart with Regina. “Haven’t met the right girl yet, I guess,” she finally said.

“Girl?” Regina echoed.

Now Emma looked up with a sly smile. “Is this your way of finding out if I’m gay and single?”

Regina smirked mischievously. “Maybe.”

Emma chuckled, her grin grew. “Well, for your information, I’m hella gay and single.” Regina nodded, diverting her eyes. Emma couldn’t quite tell, but she thought the brunette was blushing. “What about you?” Emma asked boldly.

Regina took a while to reply. “I am gay,” she finally said. “And single. Not many girls go wild for a wheelchair.”

“It’s only a means of transport,” Emma frowned. “Those girls are idiots.”

Regina smiled at her. “Thank you.”

Emma shrugged. “It’s just how I see it.”

“Well, you are an exception,” Regina said darkly and shivered. Emma saw her shiver and shrugged off her jacket. She gently slid it around Regina’s shoulders. Regina made a jerking movement, but when she realized what Emma was doing, she relaxed. “Thank you.”

“You should go inside and get some sleep,” Emma said with a frown.

“So should you,” Regina retorted and carefully stood up.

Emma stretched out her hand and steadied her. “I will,” she said.

“Are you going to kick out random-girl?” Regina asked as they made their way to the hotel.

“Nah, I’ll just crash in my car,” Emma replied lightly.

Regina stopped immediately. “No, that is out of the question,” she said resolutely.

Emma blinked. “What?”

“There is no way you are sleeping in your car,” Regina said.

“Where do you suggest I go sleep?” Emma asked.

“My trailer has a fairly comfortable sofa, you can crash there,” Regina said, already dragging Emma with her to the trailer behind the hotel.

“Uh… okay,” Emma said flabbergasted.

Fifteen minutes later, Emma lay on a very comfortably sofa under a blanket and Regina only a few feet away. Emma still couldn’t wrap her head around how this had happened, but she wasn’t complaining.

“Goodnight, Emma,” Regina whispered in the dark.

“Goodnight, Regina,” Emma replied, she could just make out the contours of Regina’s body.

Emma snuggled deeper under the blankets and vaguely thought about what she was going to tell Ruby the next morning…


	7. Chapter 7

Emma woke up the next morning because a ray of sun was shining on her face. She blinked and for a moment she didn’t know where she was. Then she spotted the sleeping person in the bed across from her and she remembered; Regina had offered her sofa to Emma after Emma had told her Ruby was hooking up with a random girl. Carefully, Emma sat up and saw Regina was still fast asleep. Quietly, she stood up and snuck out of the trailer. Wondering what she was going to tell Ruby, Emma made her way to the hotel to grab some breakfast. She checked her watch, it was early. Thankfully, breakfast was just starting and Emma grabbed her coffee and some toast with scrambled eggs. She found a table near the window and sat down. She had no idea how she had ended up in Regina’s room, but she wasn’t complaining. She really liked Regina and even though they hadn’t talked much yet, she could feel there was a friendship starting. Of course she hoped for more, Regina was gorgeous. Emma had the feeling it wouldn’t be so easy to come any closer to Regina, she still had a very closed-off vibe going on. Emma knew by intuition not to push, but she didn’t want to. She liked being around Regina, regardless if their blossoming friendship grew into something more. Emma didn’t mind, she wasn’t really looking for a relationship anyway. Still, she had the idea Regina was fishing last night, asking about her relationship status. Emma grinned, she couldn’t wait to meet up with Regina again. But first, she needed to get to Phoenix. Normally it would be more than a six-hour drive, but she thought she could get there under five hours.  
Emma finished her coffee and decided to see if she could make some adjustments to the Beetle. With her hands deep in her pockets, she walked outside and breathed in the cold morning air. From the front of the car, Emma picked up her toolbox and crawled underneath the car. She felt herself slide into her own bubble, the outside world no longer existed. Everything cleared in her head, all that existed was the motor above her. She had no idea how much time had passed when she felt a shoe connect to her calf and Emma slid from under the car. She squinted up and found Ruby leaning against the Bug, yawning widely.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Emma grinned as she stood up.

Ruby flipped her off before looking at Emma. “Where did you go last night?” she asked.

“Oh, I didn’t want to interrupt your impromptu sexcapade, so I slept in the car,” Emma smoothly lied, she hadn’t even thought about it.

“Sorry,” Ruby ducked her head, pretending to be ashamed.

Emma shook her head and chuckled. “I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner,” she said.

Ruby shrugged. “They are pretty stuck up here,” she said. “How is she doing?” she asked, nodding at the Bug.

“Not bad, considering what she went through these past few days,” Emma said as she placed the toolbox back in the car.

“Good. Phoenix is next, right?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah, I have to finish in the top fifteen,” Emma said. “I think I can manage that.”

“Me too,” Ruby nodded. “One more coffee before we go?” she suggested.

Emma nodded and they both walked back to the hotel.

~~~

Thanks to winning last time, Emma was allowed to start first. Regina was just behind her and Emma thought she'd seen her wave from behind the darkened windshield. Emma smiled back, hoping Ruby hadn’t seen anything. Ever since they had stepped into the car, Ruby had her head buried in her phone.

“Who are you texting?” Emma asked.

“Oh, this girl from last night,” Ruby mumbled and locked her phone. “She’s being clingy.”

“You are such a womanizer,” Emma chuckled.

She focused on the traffic light above her, waiting for the green light. Finally, it jumped and Emma sped away.

She hadn’t made it out of the city and Regina already had passed her. Emma had expected nothing less. Comfortably in fifth place, Emma drove out of the city and started to speed up. She really wanted to make it to Phoenix in under five hours. There wasn’t a challenge scheduled today but Zelena had let her know that she wanted to give her an extra lesson, taking advantage of the time off. Emma had agreed and was eager to learn more.

“So what?” Ruby shrugged. “I like women.”

“Yeah and you go through them like you go through paper tissues,” Emma chuckled.

“I do not,” Ruby protested. Emma only raised an eyebrow for Ruby to sigh. “Okay, fine,” she groaned. “What does it matter?”

“Don’t you think it’s about time to settle down?” Emma asked.

“Like you, you mean? When was the last time you got laid?” Ruby asked pointedly.

“Eh…” Emma shrugged. “Sex isn’t everything.”

“Says the woman who hasn’t been laid in months,” Ruby teased.

Emma flipped her off and shook her head. Involuntarily, her mind went to Regina. She had looked beautiful in the moonlight. Emma was glad she hadn’t really noticed it last night, she probably wouldn’t have been able to stop herself then.

“I’m doing fine without,” Emma smirked.

She knew she had promised to keep Ruby in the loop regarding Evil King, but this wasn’t her secret to tell. She had promised Regina. She did feel guilty for not telling Ruby, it was actually burning on her lips, but she knew that if Regina found out, she would never look at Emma again. And that was something Emma didn’t want. She wanted to get to know Regina, she needed to know more about this mysterious woman. The sprint to Phoenix went smoothly and, to Emma’s surprise, she was able to keep her spot and finished fifth. Just as she finished, she saw Regina drive off and she sighed.

“You nailed it,” Ruby grinned as they stepped out of the car. “You are actually one of Rumpelstiltskin's favorites. Along with Evil King.”

Ruby showed Emma the blog that was being updated almost hourly about the race. Emma quickly read through it and smirked.

“Nice,” she said as they walked to the hotel.

“When are you meeting Zelena?” Ruby asked as they settled in their room.

“In two hours,” Emma replied as she glanced at her watch. “Are you going to meet up with your hook up from yesterday?” she asked.

“Nah,” Ruby said as she plopped down on the bed. “Can I tag along with you?” she asked.

“Of course,” Emma nodded.

“Awesome.”

~~~

Emma arrived at an abandoned road alone. As they had left the hotel, Ruby had been ambushed by the girl from last night and she hadn’t been able to escape. Emma thought she hadn’t tried really hard either, it looked like Ruby quite enjoyed getting her face sucked off. Emma had walked on to her car and now she was parked on the side of the road. She stepped out of the car when she saw Zelena’s jeep approaching. Zelena stepped out and Emma noticed she wasn’t alone. Regina lowered her wheelchair out of the car.

“I’m glad you’re alone,” Zelena said when she walked towards Emma. “Don’t think Regina would have stayed if not.”

“I get that,” Emma nodded. “Ruby almost joined me, but she got… otherwise occupied.”

For a moment, Emma thought she saw disappointment on Zelena’s face before she answered. “I see,” Zelena replied.

“Hey,” Regina greeted her as she wheeled up to them.

“Hey,” Emma greeted her with a smile. “Congratulations on your win.”

Regina smiled. “Thanks. And yourself on your fifth place. It won’t be long now before you’re in second place.”

“That’s the plan,” Emma winked. “So, what do you have in mind for today?” Emma asked.

“I was thinking some more rough terrain? Helps your reflexes,” Zelena suggested.

Emma nodded. “Good idea. I just tuned her, so she’s good to go.”

“Great,” Zelena replied and walked back to the car. Halfway, she turned around when she realized Regina wasn’t following. “Are you coming, Regina?” she asked.

“Uh, I thought I could ride with Emma,” Regina replied and looked up at Emma. “If that’s okay with you?”

“Totally,” Emma smirked.

“Sure,” Zelena shrugged and stepped into the Jeep.

Regina wheeled to the passenger seat and transferred herself into the car. Emma folded up the wheelchair and placed it under the hood. She walked around to the driver’s seat and stepped in. Regina had just clicked in the seatbelt when Emma started the car.

“You good?” Emma asked.

“I am,” Regina nodded.

Emma smiled and signaled to Zelena that she was ready. Zelena drove off and Emma followed her. Zelena drove off the road, into the woods and Emma prayed the Bug would hold.

She glanced aside at Regina, who was holding on tight to the handle above the door.

“Still good?” Emma asked concerned.

“Yeah, don’t worry,” Regina said and she flashed a blinding smile at Emma. “What made you decide to race with this death trap?” she asked when they had reached a meadow in the middle of the woods.

“I had no choice really,” Emma told her. “I kind of crashed my Toyota a few days before the race and this was the only car I could get my hands on.”

“You modified it?” Regina asked surprised.

“As best as I could,” Emma said. “I could have done more if I had more time.”

“I’m impressed,” Regina replied and Emma looked up surprised.

“That says a lot coming from you,” Emma blushed.

“I’m no mechanic,” Regina said. “I just drive the cars,” she added.

“But you do that very well,” Emma complimented her.

“Will you stop?” Regina smirked. “I would like to fit into my car after this.”

Emma chuckled and focused back on where they were going. Zelena was dragging them through half the woods and Emma was glad when they were back on the abandoned road again. She parked the Bug, got out, and retrieved Regina’s wheelchair. Regina smiled up at her when she transferred back into her chair.

“Not bad at all, rookie,” Zelena complimented her when Emma and Regina walked over to her.

“Agreed,” Regina said. “You have good reflexes. Do work on estimating what the road does to your car. You made a few unnecessary dives,” she added.

“I’ll work on that,” Emma nodded. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem,” Regina replied and wheeled back to the Jeep.

“See you later,” Zelena winked and walked back to the Jeep as well.

Emma watched them leave and walked back to the Bug. It looked dirty and Emma decided to find a drive-through car wash, she didn’t feel like cleaning the car herself. She started the engine, turned the car, and drove away.

~~~

Emma had found Ruby laying splayed out on the bed when she returned to the room.

“Did you get rid of her?” Emma asked with a laugh.

“Sort of,” Ruby replied, turning to her side so she could see Emma. “We’re going out tonight.”

“Nice,” Emma chuckled.

“How was your afternoon?” Ruby asked curiously.

“Good,” Emma said and stood up to get a shower. “We did some heavy terrain.”

“And is the Bug still in one piece?” Ruby asked.

“Surprisingly, it is. It’s one tough car,” Emma smirked, gathering her stuff. “I’m going to take a shower, I stink.”

“Yeah, you do,” Ruby smirked.

Emma threw a pillow at her head in response and dived into the shower before Ruby could retaliate. She stripped out of her clothes and stepped under the cool shower. She rinsed off the sweat and enjoyed the cool water on her body. After another ten minutes, she stepped from under the shower. She frowned when she heard voices in the other room and she thought she recognized Regina’s voice. In record time, Emma got dressed and stepped into the room. Sure enough, Regina was standing there in her wheelchair. Ruby was looking flabbergasted at her and looked up when Emma entered the room.

“Regina?” Emma asked confused.

“You know her?” Ruby asked, sounding almost accusatory.

“Eh, yeah,” Emma said, suddenly realizing what was going on.

“YOU KNOW EVIL KING?” Ruby bellowed, now jumping to her feet.

“Now, Ruby, calm down,” Regina said, wheeling forward so she was between Emma and Ruby. “It’s not her fault, I asked her not to tell anyone,” she said, looking up at Ruby.

Ruby seemed to inflate and sank to the bed again. “How long have you known?” she asked.

“Ever since I went looking for Zelena,” Emma confessed and looked at Regina. “You told her?” she asked.

“Yeah, well,” Regina said, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. “I felt bad that you had to keep a secret.”

“It would have been nice if you'd told me,” Emma said and looked back at Ruby. “Are you okay?” she asked concerned.

Ruby was blankly staring at the wall in front of her and Emma knelt in front of her. Ruby slowly turned her head towards Emma. “She’s Evil King,” she said softly.

Emma chuckled and nodded. “She is.”

“Damn,” Ruby murmured.

“I’m sorry,” Emma said.

Ruby shook her head. “It wasn’t your secret to tell,” she said, repeating what Regina had said to her earlier. “I get it.”

“Thanks,” Emma said and hugged her friend. “You good?” she asked.

“Give me a moment, will ya?” Ruby said, her eyes darting at Regina.

Emma followed her gaze and looked at Regina. “What brings you here?” she finally asked.

Regina blushed as she looked down. “I… I forgot to ask you something this afternoon.”

“Oh?” Emma frowned.

“Yeah,” Regina said, clearing her throat and looking up at Emma. “I was wondering if I could take you to this amazing Italian place?”

Emma blinked, did Regina just ask her out?

~~~

They arrived at what looked like a packed restaurant. Emma watched as Regina spoke in rapid Italian with the owner and within minutes they were escorted to a secluded table. Emma sat down and Regina sat across from here.

“How did you do that?” Emma asked, incredulous. “The place is packed!”

“I know the owner,” Regina winked. “My family and I come here often when we’re in the neighborhood.”

Emma looked at her, impressed. “And you speak Italian. You keep surprising me.”

Regina blushed and looked shyly away. Emma watched her, she was so different when she was out of the car. Regina was such a confident driver, like she wasn’t scared of anything. But outside the car, she was a completely different person. Emma liked this different person and she was glad she was sitting here with Regina.

“Tell me something about you,” Regina suddenly said, sounding curious.

Emma took a deep breath, digging in her mind to come up with something that wouldn’t scare Regina away. “When I was younger, I actually wanted to become an astronaut,” she finally said.

Regina’s face broke open in a smile. “That actually fits you,” she said.

“What about you?” Emma asked.

Regina was about to answer when a waiter stopped at their table to take their order. Emma ordered a glass of wine and spaghetti, while Regina went for water and a plate of tagliatelle.

“I wanted to live on a ranch and own a bunch of horses,” Regina answered Emma’s question.

“Really? I wouldn’t have pegged you as a horse girl,” Emma said surprised.

“Neither did my parents. When I turned eighteen, they gave me my first car. A Ford Mustang, while I had asked for a horse,” Regina replied, a pained expression flitted across her face.

“I’m sorry,” Emma offered.

Regina shrugged. “I did fall in love with the car,” she smirked. “How did you end up in the car business?” she asked.

Emma bit her tongue, she couldn’t lie to Regina. “I grew up in the foster system. One of my foster families owned an auto repair shop and my foster dad taught me everything he knew about cars. They were about to adopt me when he died. After that I wandered from family to family, keeping my love for cars. I remember I fixed a car for one of the families and the father blew up on me. He was the man in the house and he was the one who should fix cars. You can guess I didn’t stay longer,” Emma chuckled. “Anyway, when I was fifteen, I met Ruby and her grandmother and they took me in. A year later I was officially part of the family. Both Ruby and I were crazy about cars and went chasing after a career in the car business. We both work at Geppetto’s car shop,” Emma finished her story.

Regina stayed quiet for a bit, processing the information. “I’m so sorry, Emma,” she offered. “Here I was, moaning about a horse I didn’t get.” Embarrassed, she looked away.

Emma grabbed her hand and made her look up. “Hey, I didn’t have a bad life. I could have ended up a lot worse. I call myself lucky,” she said.

Regina seemed to melt under her gaze and a soft smile appeared on her face. “I admire that in you,” she said.

Emma shrugged. “It’s just life. You went on after your accident.”

Regina pulled back her hand and ducked her head. “Not really,” she said. “I shut out everyone and refused to talk. The first time I spoke was actually to you.”

Emma of course had heard that from Zelena and she tried to catch Regina’s eyes. “And that is understandable. It wasn't nothing.”

Regina shook her head. “You don’t understand,” she said softly. “I didn’t speak because of the impact of the accident had on me, I didn’t speak because I was punishing myself.”

“Why?” Emma asked confused.

“Because I modified the car without Zelena knowing. Zelena used to be my mechanic and she was a damn good one. We had an argument about making the car fit for street racing. She refused of course. I knew how to do it and… well, the rest is history,” Regina explained. “And I haven’t told this to anyone.”

“Regina…” Emma started.

“Don’t!” Regina suddenly spat. “Don’t give me that pity. It was my own fault.”

“It wasn’t,” Emma told her and Regina looked at her surprised. “I looked up the accident report because I was curious about what happened. Zelena didn’t tell me much. It stated that the accident had been caused by gravel on the road. You weren’t even speeding at the time. There was nothing you could have done.”

“What…?” Regina looked at her with dazed eyes. “But, I was…”

Emma shook her head. “You had just crossed a camera before the accident. You were not speeding.”

“So, it wasn’t my fault?” Regina echoed.

“No,” Emma said softly.

Regina swallowed thickly, tears were slowly forming in her eyes. Emma rose from her seat, walked around the table, and knelt next to Regina. She was glad they were shielded from the rest of the restaurant, she would hate if the rest of the world got to see Regina break down.

“It wasn’t my fault,” Regina sobbed, burying her face in Emma’s shoulder as soon as Emma wrapped her arms around her.

“No,” Emma repeated.

Their waiter suddenly appeared next to Emma with their food and Emma shook her head slowly. The waiter nodded and disappeared again. It took a while for Regina to calm down, but finally, she pulled back. Emma reached up and wiped away the tears.

“I’m a mess,” Regina groaned. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, it’s okay,” Emma reassured her. “You still look beautiful.”

Regina gave a throaty chuckle. “And here I was thinking I was seducing you,” she said.

Emma smirked. “The night is still young.”

Regina looked at Emma again. Their eyes hooked together and Regina reached up to cup Emma’s cheek. Ever so slowly, she closed the gap and lightly kissed Emma…


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is going to be some sexy times in the chapter ;)

Emma had brought Ruby up to speed during their trip to San Francisco. There were only ten drivers left and the sprint was an intense one. She had left out the part about Regina’s breakdown, but she had told Ruby about the kiss and how Regina had insisted on bringing her back to her hotel room. This time Emma had taken the initiative and kissed Regina. Emma could still taste the cinnamon and something spicy on her lips.

“Wow,” Ruby smiled. “She sounds amazing.”

“She is,” Emma assured her. “You know, after all of this, you two should meet properly,” she said.

“Hmm, maybe we can do a double date,” Ruby thought out loud.

“You mean with what’s her name?” Emma asked, she didn’t think Ruby was very serious about her hook up.

“Annabelle? No!” Ruby exclaimed. “I mean you, Regina, me, and Zelena,” she said.

Emma laughed out loud. “Good luck with that one.”

“She still needs to make it up to me,” Ruby said with a smug smile.

Emma shook her head, she really didn’t think Ruby had a chance with Zelena. She also wasn’t going to stop Ruby, she was free to try and fail.

“Do you think Regina will still want to kiss you if you beat her again?” Ruby asked with a smirk.

“There’s only one way of finding out,” Emma smirked.

They were halfway to San Francisco when Emma managed to move up to third place. She was driving behind Hook and Regina now, having just passed Jefferson. The closer they came to San Francisco, the more crowded it became. It was late afternoon and the normal traffic was starting up. Up ahead, she saw Regina leaving the highway, racing past a pile-up of cars. Emma saw cars were braking in front of her and she decided to follow Regina’s example. She floored the pedal and shot off the highway, into the desert. Hook, unfortunately, had done the same and he was still in between her and Regina. Emma knew she needed to keep this place, only the top five would go on. She had gotten this far and she wasn’t planning on losing now.  
They closed in on the city and Emma followed Hook and Regina back onto the normal road. There was still a lot of traffic, but at least it wasn’t standing still. Emma raced after Hook, determined to pass him before the finish line. A truck came out of nowhere from her right and Emma slammed the brakes. The Beetle was too high to slid underneath, unlike Jefferson’s car. Jefferson passed her and drifted underneath the truck. Emma slammed the steering wheel and floored the pedal again as soon as the truck was gone. She didn’t see any of her competitors in her rearview mirror, so that was good. She chased after Jefferson and managed to pull up next to him. Still, he managed to cross the line before her, leaving Emma in fourth place.

“That was close,” Ruby breathed and Emma nodded.

“Too close,” Emma said through gritted teeth.

They drove to the hotel and Emma parked the car.

“We made it,” Ruby beamed as they walked up to their room after picking up the key.

Emma grinned. “I guess we did. One more race to go.”

“You got it,” Ruby said.

“I don’t know, Rubes. I’ve only beaten Regina once and that was because she had a bad day,” Emma pondered as she plopped on the bed. “Would it really be the worst if I lost?” she asked.

Ruby shrugged. “What about our own shop?” she asked. “And you would lose the Bug,” she added.

Emma shrugged. “If I asked nicely, I think Regina would give it back. I mean, she already called it a death trap.”

Ruby chuckled. “It kind of is, isn’t it?”

Emma laughed. “I’m surprised it made it this far.”

“Hey, don’t jinx it!” Ruby exclaimed. Emma held up her hands defensively and walked to the door. “Where are you going?” Ruby asked.

“See if I can find Regina and congratulate her,” Emma smirked.

“You mean smooch her,” Ruby teased.

“Maaaybe,” Emma said and closed the door behind her.

~~~

Whistling, Emma walked to the back of the hotel where she knew she would find the Mills’ trailers. Soon she located Regina’s trailer and knocked on the door. She stuffed her hands in her back pockets of her jeans as she waited for Regina to open.

“She’s not going to answer,” Zelena said.

Emma looked at the side and saw Zelena leaning against the side of the trailer.

“What do you mean?” Emma asked, frowning.

“She never wants to talk to someone before a big race,” Zelena clarified.

“Oh,” Emma stepped away from the trailer disappointed. “I see. I only wanted to congratulate her on her win today.”

“I’ll pass on the message,” Zelena smiled. “How are you doing? Nervous for tonight?” she asked as she walked back with Emma.

“Not too much,” Emma replied. “More excited, I guess. Never done anything this big,” she admitted.

“You’re doing great,” Zelena assured her. “You’ve really grown in this short a time.”

“Thanks,” Emma ducked her head, trying to hide the blush. “I wouldn’t have done it without your help.”

“Don’t mention it,” Zelena shrugged and stopped short before the entrance to the hotel. “So, your friend Ruby. Is she single?”

Emma blinked surprised. “Uh, yeah, she is.”

“Hmmm, okay. You got her number for me?” Zelena asked.

“Yeah, I do,” Emma chuckled and quickly send Ruby’s number to Zelena.

“Thanks,” Zelena smiled. “Well, good luck, Swan.”

“Thanks.”

Emma watched her go, a bit flabbergasted. She was about to walk off when the door to the trailer opened.

“Emma?”

Emma turned around to find Regina in the doorway. Her hair was wet and the only thing she was wearing, was a towel around her body. She clearly had just stepped from under the shower.

“I thought you didn’t want to see anyone?” Emma asked as she walked back to the trailer.

“For you I can make an exception,” Regina smirked.

She wheeled her chair back so Emma could step into the trailer. Emma closed the door behind her and Regina grabbed her hand to pull Emma closer. Emma leaned forward while Regina craned her neck to meet Emma’s lips. Emma didn’t complain and kissed her back vigorously. She cupped the back of Regina’s head, the wet hairs stuck to her hand. Regina reached up as well to place her hand in Emma’s neck, pulling her closer. Regina was the first one to break the kiss, gasping for air.

“Wow,” Emma breathed as she glanced into Regina’s dark, chocolate eyes. They seemed even darker than normal.

“I want you,” Regina said, voice husky.

“Are you sure?” Emma asked; they had only gone out once.

Regina nodded. “From the moment I saw you standing outside my car, I’ve wanted you,” she breathed.

“Okay,” Emma nodded.

Regina looked back at where her bed was and back to Emma. “Well, this is a bit awkward,” she started, looking up at Emma. “Can you…you know…” her voice trailed off embarrassed.

Emma understood immediately when she meant. “Sure, no problem.”

She scooted her strong arms under Regina’s upper legs and around her back as Regina wrapped her arms around Emma’s neck. Emma lifted her out of the chair and walked to the bed. Emma laid her carefully down on the bed and Regina pulled her on top of her almost immediately. Hungrily, she kissed Emma as Emma supported her weight on her upper arms she had placed next to Regina’s head. Regina let her hands roam over Emma’s back, moving them under her shirt. Emma groaned as nails racked over her back. Emma broke the kiss and moved to Regina’s neck, kissing and sucking. She felt Regina’s hips buck under her and she smirked.

“A little impatient?” she asked as she looked up.

Regina bit on her under lip, nodding. “Please,” she begged.

Emma let her hands roam over Regina’s body, stopping at the hem of the towel on top of Regina’s breasts. She looked up at Regina, who nodded silently. Emma loosened the towel and blinked at the sight underneath her. Regina’s skin was like silk, so smooth. Emma swallowed as she traced a finger down Regina’s cleavage, finally brushing the hardened nipples. Regina moaned at the feeling and Emma wanted to hear that sound again. Regina bucked her hips again and Emma moved her hand down Regina’s stomach. Her fingers traced down to the little curls on Regina’s pelvis, only to move further down. Heat was radiating up and her fingers touched something wet. Emma smiled as she reached Regina’s clit. She touched it softly, making Regina’s hips buck at the feeling. She put more pressure on it, drawing circles around it.

“Fuck me, please,” Regina moaned, she had her eyes closed.

Emma swallowed thickly, Regina sounded so sexy. She moved her fingers away from Regina’s clit, sliding into the wet folds. She pushed one digit into Regina, making her hips buck again. She decided to stop teasing and pushed her finger all the way in. Regina growled at the sensation. Emma started moving in and out faster, brushing the rough spot on Regina’s inner walls.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Regina called out. “More!”

Emma added a second finger, picking up the pace. Soon she was rapidly fucking Regina, making her growl more and more. Regina’s words became inaudible as her back arched. A powerful orgasm raced through her body. Emma kept moving her fingers inside Regina, helping her ride out the orgasm. Slowly, Regina came down from her high and her eyes opened. They were still hazed and a lazy smile lay on her face. Emma kissed her softly as she removed her fingers. She licked them clean and Regina groaned at the sight. Emma grinned and moved to lay down next to Regina. She looked up when she heard soft sniffing next to her. Regina was looking down at her body, at her legs and tears were falling down her cheek.

“Hey,” Emma said softly, lifting Regina’s head up. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I shouldn’t have done this,” Regina sniffed. “I… I’m ugly.”

Stunned, Emma looked at the gorgeous woman in front of her. “You are beautiful,” she whispered.

Regina shook her head and sat up, moving to leave the bed. Emma grabbed her wrist, stopping her. She sat up as well and held Regina in her arms as she cried.

“I…am…not,” Regina hiccupped. “Look at me!”

“I am,” Emma said softly. “And you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Regina shook her head. “You only say that,” she said stubbornly.

Emma shook her head and pressed a kiss to Regina’s forehead. “You know I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Now Regina looked up at her, tears were streaming down her face. “I don’t deserve you,” she tried again.

“Says who?” Emma asked. Regina opened and closed her mouth a few times, but she didn’t know how to answer that. “See, no one.”

Regina looked away from her, absentmindedly rubbing the scars on her legs. “But my scars…” Regina started.

“They are battle scars from a battle you won,” Emma countered.

Regina looked up at her again, her eyes were filled with emotions. “I…” she started. “You are too good,” she finally said.

Emma shrugged, kissing Regina softly. She pulled Regina back on the bed, pulling her close into her arms. Regina kissed her back as she wrapped her free arm around Emma’s waist.

“You are gorgeous, don’t forget that,” Emma whispered.

“Thank you,” Regina said softly, she had stopped crying.

Emma smiled as she pulled Regina closer. They cuddled and Emma thought Regina had fallen asleep when Regina looked up, her eyes were dark again. She pushed Emma onto her back and Regina straddled Emma’s hips. Emma swallowed thickly at the sight before her. Regina was still completely naked, her skin smooth. Emma reached up, tracing her fingers over the skin. Regina bowed down, kissing Emma fiercely, as her hands wandered over Emma’s body. She slipped one hand under Emma’s shirt, while the other unbuttoned Emma’s pants.

Emma stopped her, looking her in the eyes. “You don’t have to do this,” she said.

“I want to,” Regina breathed. “I want to hear you come.”

Emma swallowed thickly at that and licked her lips. “Okay,” she replied.

Regina’s hand slipped up to cup Emma’s breast, playing with the exposed nipple. Emma wasn’t wearing a bra, she had thrown it off as soon as she had gotten to the hotel. Emma groaned at the sensation and almost forgot about Regina’s other hand until that slipped into her pants. Regina didn’t waste any time, she slipped her hand right into Emma’s boxer short. Emma gasped for air when Regina brushed her clit. Regina grinned and moved her hand further down. Emma felt she was wet as Regina’s finger slid right into her. Emma squeezed her eyes shut at the sensation. Regina knew what she was doing, she added a second finger and started a rapid tempo. Emma moaned, arching her back.

“Oh, Regina, yes! There!” she moaned.

Regina started fucking her faster and faster, helping Emma rapidly to an overwhelming orgasm. Her nail scraped over Emma’s G-spot just in time. Emma saw stars behind her eyelids as something pulled deep in the pit of her stomach. Her breath hitched and for a moment she was no longer on Earth. Slowly, she started breathing again. She collapsed on the bed and lazily opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Regina licking her fingers clean like a content cat. She had her eyes trained on Emma and Emma growled.

“You make me want to fuck you again,” she said.

“What’s stopping you?” Regina smirked.

Emma grinned and was about to kiss Regina again when there was a loud pounding on the door.

“Regina, we got to go!” Zelena called out.

“Shit,” Emma groaned.

“I’ll be waiting for you at the finish line,” Regina grinned as she sat up.

It was only then she realized her wheelchair was on the other side of the trailer. She sighed and looked aside at Emma.

“A little help?” she asked.

Emma chuckled and kissed her. “Sure.”

~~~

It was time. Emma stood lined up with Regina left of her, Hook right of her, Jefferson and August next to him. The instruction had been short and simple: a street race in a clear broad day through San Francisco. They were to make an eight through the city, ending at the exact same place here.  
Emma took a deep breath and focused on the stoplight. Other cars had parked behind them and Emma knew this was going to be a real challenge. It was busy in the city of San Francisco and there were a lot of cars on the road. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, waiting for the green light. Engines revved and Emma saw people watching them. She chuckled, she liked to show off. Finally, the light jumped to green and they were off. Emma floored the pedal; last night she had modified the engine some more. Now she could easily keep up with the faster cars. She chased after Hook, who had passed her immediately. She didn’t see Jefferson or August, they were way behind already. She had always known it would be between her, Hook, and Regina. She knew she could take Hook, he made many mistakes and she planned to take advantage of that. Sirens were blaring in the distance and she knew they would get an audience. According to Rumpelstiltskin’s blog, about 25 drivers had been arrested during the week. All of them were facing jail time and Emma did not want to do that. No matter what, she needed to stay out of the cops’ hands. She raced through a red light, crossing the intersection at top speed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a truck coming from her right and she just managed to squeeze before him. He honked and Emma grinned. Adrenaline shot through her, this was why she was doing it. She was still on Hook’s tail when he suddenly hit the brakes. Emma swerved around him and saw a car had cut him off. Emma grinned and raced passed him.

“It’s me and you, Evil King,” Emma said.

Regina was at least three blocks ahead of her and Emma had run numerous red lights already. She knew that at any moment her luck would run out, but now was not the time yet. She crossed another intersection, cars were coming at her from both sides. All of them were honking at her and Emma smirked. Again, she had crossed the intersection safely and she could see the red shining roof of Regina’s car. She quickly glanced at the screen next to her and saw they were halfway. Emma kept tailing Regina through the city, blue lights were dooming up behind her.

“Shit,” Emma swore as she also saw Hook.

He had almost caught up with her. Pondering, Emma looked at the nitro next to her but decided against it. She could outrun him if she kept driving clean. She focused back on Regina, knowing she would need the nitro to pass Regina. They turned into the last turn towards the finish and Emma knew it was almost time. She could clearly see Regina’s car now, there were only a few feet between them. Emma knew the chances were high Regina would use the nitro too and she wanted to wait to use them as long as possible. Her left hand went to the button to ignite them, the finish line was only fifteen feet away. A sudden crash against the back of her car sent her flying. She lost complete control over the car and at high speed she approached the metal railing that separated two roads from each other. Emma tried everything to avoid a collision but knew there was nothing she could do. She held up her arms protectively, seeing Regina smile at her before everything went black…


	9. Chapter 9

Regina became vaguely aware of the sirens closing in on her. She was sitting on the asphalt with an unconscious Emma in her arms, Emma’s car was in flames a few feet away from her. Regina kept staring at Emma’s still face, willing her to open her eyes and make a stupid joke. Her hand was shaking as she stroked Emma’s face, hoping it would rouse Emma from her slumber. No such thing happened and soon strong arms lifted Emma from her lap. She was vaguely aware of voices around her, but she was only focused on Emma. She clung to her, not willing to let her go.

“Regina, let her go,” someone said in her ear.

Her brain slowly registered it was Zelena who was talking to her. Her grasp around Emma eased and before she could register it, Emma was gone. Dazed, she let Zelena help her onto her feet and into her wheelchair. The prosthetic legs groaned under the sudden weight as she transferred from the ground into the chair. Zelena wrapped her arms around her sister as Regina watched as the paramedics put Emma on a stretcher and push her into the ambulance. A strong pull got a hold of Regina and she freed herself from Zelena’s grasp. She placed her hands on the hoops of her wheelchair and wheeled towards the ambulance just as they were about to close the doors.

“I need to go with her,” she rasped to the paramedic.

The paramedic looked doubtfully at her wheelchair before shaking his head. “We don’t have room to take you with us,” he said. “We’ll bring her to St. Mary’s,” he told her.

“I promised her I wouldn’t leave her side,” Regina said as she stood up from her wheelchair with some difficulty.

The paramedic looked like he was going to protest again, but gave in after Regina stared him down. “Fine,” he said.

Regina turned around to face Zelena. “Can you…?” she started, but Zelena nodded, already grabbing the wheelchair.

“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” Zelena said.

Regina nodded and climbed into the ambulance. She sat down at the bench next to Emma, immediately grabbing her hand. She had seen the accident happen. She had been keeping an eye on the yellow bug as soon as she had popped up in her rearview mirror. Emma had been coming closer and closer and even if Regina didn’t like losing, she would have let Emma win. Then she had seen the black car appear behind Emma and crashing into the car. She had watched as the Beetle had spun out of control and headed straight for the metal railing. Regina had already had hit the brakes, and Hook had sped past her. She didn’t care, she only cared for the blonde woman in the yellow Beetle. She had been out of the car before it completely stood still and she had run towards the Beetle as fast as she could. She had managed to get Emma out of the car through the window, the glass had shattered upon impact. Regina had lifted Emma up and carried her away, the car had exploded shortly after. Emma hadn’t responded and her body was a dead weight in Regina’s arms. Regina had sunk to her knees, holding Emma close, telling her she wouldn’t leave her. The ambulance jerked to a halt, pulling Regina out of her thoughts. The paramedic urged her to step out of the ambulance, so they could lift the stretcher with Emma out of the back. Regina stood next to the open doors, watching as Emma got lifted out of the ambulance. She walked along with the stretcher into the hospital, still holding Emma’s hand. They went through a pair of revolving doors where a nurse stopped her.

“No, no, let me go with her!” Regina called. “I promised!”

“Let the doctors do their work,” the nurse told her calmly. “They will come and update you.”

“You don’t understand,” Regina tried again. “I promised I wouldn’t leave her!”

“Regina, come sit down.”

A hand on her arm forced her to look away and the nurse vanished, the doors fell close. Zelena urged Regina to walk with her to the chairs in the waiting area. Regina spotted Ruby, who immediately went over to Regina and hugged her.

“Thank you,” she sobbed. “You saved her life.”

Regina didn’t know what to say, her own mind was still reeling. It all happened so fast and slow at the same time. Ruby finally let go of Regina and they sat down. It was only now Regina saw there was blood on her hands. She tried to wipe them clean on her pants, but the blood had dried all up. Frantically, she tried to clean them, tears spilling down her cheeks. Zelena immediately reacted, wrapping her arms around Regina. Regina completely broke down, she clung to Zelena as if she was her last buoy.

~~~

It was a couple of hours later when the doctor showed up. Regina had finally fallen asleep and Zelena cursed softly when she stirred at hearing the doctor’s voice.

“Are you the relatives of Emma Swan?” he asked.

“Yes,” Ruby replied.

The doctor looked a bit doubtful, but he decided to tell them. “Miss Swan has suffered severe trauma to the head. There was some swelling in the brain, we have managed to reduce it. Now it is just wait and see, we'll keep her in an induced coma to give her body time to recover. She has a broken clavicle, several broken ribs, and a bruised pelvis,” he told them.

“Can we see her?” Ruby asked.

“Not quite yet, she needs to be moved to her room. A nurse will come and get you,” he said.

“Thank you,” Zelena said.

The doctor nodded and walked away. Regina sat up, she had heard the whole story. Wordlessly, she transferred into her wheelchair and drove off to the restrooms. Zelena sighed and wanted to go after her, but Ruby stopped.

“I’ll go,” she said.

Zelena nodded and sunk back into her chair. Ruby walked into the restroom, finding Regina washing her hands frantically.

“Cold water helps more,” Ruby said and Regina merely nodded at her. Her eyes were glazed over, as if she wasn’t seeing Ruby. Ruby knelt next to her, reaching for Regina’s already clean hands. “Hey,” she said softly. She turned off the faucet, making Regina face her. “She’s going to be fine.”

Regina looked at her for a long while, opening her mouth a few times. It took her an obvious effort to finally speak. “You don’t know that,” she rasped.

Ruby chuckled dryly. “I’ve known Emma for the past sixteen years. She is one stubborn piece of human being,” she said.

Regina shook her head, fighting against the tears. “She looked like a doll,” she choked. “She felt like one. She was completely limp.”

“I know,” Ruby sighed. “But she's got this. She’s not done yet. She has some unfinished business with you in the form of a date.”

Regina finally focused her eyes on Ruby, clearing slightly. “She said that?” she asked.

Ruby nodded. “Yeah. She told me she wanted to take you out after the race.”

A single tear rolled down on Regina’s cheek. “I need her,” she said. “I know it sounds odd after going out once, but…” her voice trailed off.

“But she touched you,” Ruby finished for her and nodded. “Yeah, she has that effect on people. Did she tell you how she became my family?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah, she told me your Granny adopted her when she was sixteen,” Regina answered.

Ruby chuckled. “Typical Emma. That is the short story, yeah. What really happened, was that she came into our lives just after my grandfather had died. My Granny was devastated and Emma somehow sensed that. My Granny owns a dinner and Emma would stop by every evening and stayed until it was time to close, making sure my Granny wouldn’t be alone. She hardly ever bought anything, so Granny started to give her free meals. When Granny found out she was a foster child and heard how many foster families she had been with, she called the orphanage and told them she would be picking up Emma’s stuff. Emma never left. She was fifteen at the time,” Ruby told her.

“She didn’t tell me that,” Regina replied, surprised.

“I don’t think Emma realizes what kind of effect she has on people,” Ruby said, smiling softly.

“Sounds like her, yeah,” Regina nodded.

The door opened and Zelena appeared in the doorway. “We can go see her,” she told them.

Regina and Ruby followed her out of the restroom, ready to be there for Emma.

~~~

Weeks had passed and Emma’s situation hadn’t changed. Ruby and Granny had decided to have Emma transported to Boston. Regina had traveled with them, much to her parent’s disagreement. Just before Regina and Ruby would fly with Emma back to Boston, they had shown up at the hospital.

_“Isn’t it time you come home, darling?” Cora asked, looking down at Regina._

_“Home? Why would I do that?” Regina responded distracted, Ruby had just sent her a text they were getting Emma ready for the transport._

_“Because that’s where you belong?” Henry said, frowning at his daughter._

_Now Regina looked up. “No. I belong with Emma. I promised her.”_

_Cora sighed and Henry shook his head before kneeling next to her wheelchair. “You hardly know her,” he said. “You’ve got a whole life back in New York,” he added._

_Regina shook her head. “You don’t get it, do you?” she asked. “Hasn’t it occurred to you that this is the first time I’m speaking to you?” she asked._

_“Of course,” Cora said. “And we are thrilled!”_

_Regina chuckled. “Funny way of showing.”_

_“Please come home, sweetheart,” Henry pleaded._

_“Not until Emma is awake,” Regina replied stubbornly._

_Henry’s look hardened. “You are needed at the business,” he said._

_“Ho, oh no. Don’t you dare to throw that at me,” Regina protested. “You know just as well as I that I can handle business perfectly from Boston. We have an office there as well, remember?”_

_Henry sighed and stood up. “Fine, suit yourself. But we expect you to be back in two weeks,” he said as he buttoned up his jacket._

_“Or else what?” Regina asked, her eyes were aflame._

_“You’re out of the business,” Henry replied as he walked away._

_“You can’t do that!” Regina called after him._

_“Just come home, Regina,” Cora pleaded, looking at her daughter._

_“You know I can’t mom,” Regina sighed. “Emma is the reason I’m healing. All Dad and you did was keep secrets,” she said._

_“What do you mean?” Cora asked confused._

_“Did you know my accident was just that? An accident?” Regina asked sharply._

_“Eh… I…” Cora stuttered._

_“Thought as much,” Regina said. “Maybe I don’t even want to be in the business,” she called after her father._

_Henry didn’t turn around, he only motioned for his wife to follow him to the car. Cora sent Regina one last pleading look before following Henry into the car._

That had been four weeks ago and Regina was still in the business. She knew her father had been bluffing, she was one of his best drivers. In all those weeks, she hadn’t left Emma’s side. The nurses eventually had placed a second bed in Emma’s room, so she would at least get some sleep without ruining her body. Today she had settled next to Emma’s bed, laptop on her lap. She needed to send a few emails and get up to date on the race that happened tonight in Italy. Regina would have a race in a week herself, to qualify for the World Championship. She had already qualified regionally last year. Zelena had tipped her off on a Dutch racer who was really good and had almost beat her time. Regina hardly believed it, but she had watched the show and agreed, he was very good. She tore her eyes away from the screen and looked at Emma.

“What do you think? Should I change something?” she asked. “This kid is really good.”

The only answer she got back was the hissing of the breathing machine and she sighed. She squeezed Emma’s hand softly and returned her gaze back at the screen. Regina started up the race again, she needed to analyze it as best as she could. She almost missed it due to her focus on the screen, but Emma suddenly squeezed back.

Regina’s head shot up and she looked straight into Emma’s panicked eyes. Regina shoved the laptop away, moving into Emma’s peripheral view.

“I’m here, it’s okay,” she said softly, stroking Emma’s cheek. Emma tried to breathe for herself, almost choking on the tube in her throat. “Calm down, there’s a breathing tube in your throat to help you breathe.” Emma shook her head, her right hand went up to the tube to pull it out, but Regina stopped her. “Don’t do that. I’ll call for help.” Regina quickly pressed the alarm button above Emma’s bed and focused back on Emma. “You’re okay, I’m here. Help is coming.” Emma gave her a beseeching look and Regina realized she had no idea what had happened. “You’ve been in an accident. Hook crashed into you from behind and you crashed the Bug,” she explained. “I pulled you out of the car just in time.”

At that moment, nurses and doctors rushed into the room and Regina was banished from the room. Through the window, Regina could see them work on Emma and Regina knew there was nothing she could do now. She kept her eyes on Emma as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number.

“Hey Rubes, it’s me,” she said. “Emma just woke up. Yeah, see you in a bit.”

She hung up and watched as the doctor removed the breathing tube, making Emma cough violently. Regina saw she was trying to talk, but the nurse quieted her quickly. It was then that Emma looked aside, straight at Regina. Regina smiled at her, while Emma looked desperate at her. After what felt hours, Regina was allowed back in. The doctor was still standing in the room, looking up when Regina entered.

“Have you notified Miss Lucas?” he asked.

“Yeah, she should be here any minute,” Regina replied as she wheeled herself to Emma.

Emma stretched out her hand to Regina and Regina immediately grabbed it. Tears were streaming down Emma’s face, raspy sobs escaping her throat.

The door opened again and Ruby appeared in the doorway.

“Oh my god, Emma!” she exclaimed and dove into her friend's arms.

Emma hugged her tight with one arm, while still holding Regina’s hand. Regina looked up when someone else appeared in the doorway, Zelena.

“I was with Ruby when you called,” she shrugged and walked over to Emma to give her a hug as well.

“Is everyone here?” the doctor asked, he had a smile on his face.

“Yeah,” Regina said and smiled at her sister.

“Alright,” he started. “It looks like Emma is very alert and seems to be able to move her limbs at will. We did a quick test when we removed the tube and it looks good. We’ll run more tests tomorrow and do another MRI, but it looks like you’ve had a stroke of tremendous luck, miss Swan,” he said with a smile.

Emma shook her head. “Guardian angel,” she rasped, squeezing Regina’s hand.

“Either way, you are lucky. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The doctor waved and walked out of the room. Regina looked back at Emma, who looked straight back. Softly, Regina kissed her hand.

“Welcome back,” she said.

Emma only smiled and squeezed her hand.

“Took you long enough, though,” Ruby smirked.

Emma slapped her arm but smiled widely. Regina watched Zelena and Ruby interact with Emma and Regina knew everything would be alright now.

~~~

It was later that night, Regina sat reading a book while Emma slept. The visit of Ruby and Zelena had tired her and they had left half an hour after they had arrived. Emma had been asleep ever since and Regina knew it was necessary. She was dying to talk to Emma, but she knew she needed to be patient.

“Gina?”

Regina looked up, finding Emma awake. Regina closed her book and wheeled closer. “You shouldn’t talk,” she said and handed Emma the glass with water.

Emma shrugged and eagerly drank a few gulps of water. “You saved me?” she asked and Regina nodded. “After you won, right?” she wondered, setting down the glass.

“No,” Regina said defiantly. “I saw it happening, hit the brakes, and pulled you out of the car.”

“What?” Emma exclaimed, coughing violently immediately. “Why did you do that?”

“Would you have rather that I had let you burn in the car?” Regina asked, frowning.

Emma shook her head. “No. But, the money,” she said, her voice rasped.

“Stop talking,” Regina ordered and Emma stubbornly raised an eyebrow. It was clear she demanded an answer. “It was never about the money for me. Or the cars. Or the fame. It’s the thrill of racing. The thrill of having so much horsepower under you. Surely, you understand that,” Regina asked and Emma nodded. “And I did it to spite my mother. She doesn’t like me racing, definitely not after the crash,” she sighed.

Emma lay her hand on Regina’s hand and squeezed it. Regina looked up and found Emma looking at her with a soft look in her eyes. She pulled Regina closer until Regina transferred onto the bed and lay down next to Emma. Emma snuggled up in her arms, kissed her softly, and fell back asleep.

~~~

Months had passed and Emma had stunned everyone. The swelling in her brain had gone down completely and it didn’t look like she had any permanent damage. She had left the hospital three weeks after she woke up, went through rehabilitation for a few weeks, and was back at work in no time. Geppetto had managed to get the Beetle back and Emma had started to fix it up when Regina appeared in the auto shop. Emma had just inspected the Beetle when her eye fell on Regina and the person behind her.

“Regina? I thought you had gone back to New York,” she said and walked over to give her girlfriend a kiss.

“Not quite yet,” Regina responded. “There was something, or rather someone I want to take with me,” she added. Emma frowned and suddenly recognized the man behind Regina as Henry Mills. Her mouth dropped a little when she realized what this was about. “You see, I’m always looking for new talent and I really want this talent on my team,” Regina continued. “How would you like it to join my team?” she asked with a smile, already knowing Emma’s answer.

“Yes!” Emma smiled. “Hell yes.”

“I thought so,” Henry smiled and shook Emma’s hand. “Gina insisted on you and I have to admit, I agree.”

Emma smirked, but then it fell slightly. It would mean she had to leave all of this behind. Geppetto, Granny, Ruby. Ruby! “Can I… May I ask for a favor?” Emma asked shyly.

“Sure,” Regina nodded.

“Do you think there is room for one more mechanic on your team?” Emma asked.

Regina chuckled. “You mean Ruby?” she asked and Emma nodded enthusiastically. “Well…”

The door of the office suddenly burst open and Ruby raced down the stairs, waving some papers.

“Emma!” she exclaimed. “I got offered a job at the Mills’ auto shop!”

Emma smirked widely, receiving a wink from Regina.

‘Thank you,’ Emma mouthed.

“That is amazing!” Emma exclaimed and hugged Ruby.

“Did she ask you yet?” Ruby asked, looking at Regina.

“She did,” Emma beamed.

They danced through the shop, the other mechanics congratulated them. Emma went over to Regina and knelt next to her.

“Thank you,” she said again and looked up with a shy glance at Henry. Henry had walked off and was talking with Geppetto. She looked back at Regina. “I love you.”

“And I love you,” Regina replied softly.

Emma closed the distance between them and kissed her deeply.

~~~

Emma stood watching the race at the screen with crossed arms. Regina had qualified for the World Championships and she was just about to finish the first race in Monaco. At the moment she was second, just behind the Dutch driver. Ruby stood next to her, also staring intently at the screen.  
Regina started her last lap and with a daring move, she passed the Dutch driver. Emma cheered, along with Ruby and Zelena. Zelena had returned to the team on a part-time base. She had really found her passion as a child psychiatrist, but racing was in her blood. Apart from that, she wanted to spend as much time with her girlfriend Ruby, and seeing Ruby was practically married to the job, she had to return. Regina finished first and Emma dashed away. She had just arrived at the pit when Regina pulled up in her car. Regina opened the door, stepped out, and was immediately hugged by Emma. They kissed passionately and Emma had never felt more at home. She had earned her spot at the track, next season she would start as a driver herself. She and Regina were very happy together, both finally found what they had been looking for.

_True love…_


End file.
